Boys can now get HPV vaccine

The HPV vaccine has been approved for young men (9 to 26).

The vaccine, Gardasil, has been available to young women for years, but was just recently approved by Health Canada for young men.      

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause cervical cancer in women. But men are carriers and the virus can also cause anal cancer.

While the vaccine is still relatively new and the long-term effect unclear, that’s not what stirred up controversy when the shot was first approved by Health Canada.

A large part of the backlash against the drug was from people who were concerned that vaccinating young girls against an STI was going to turn them into vapid whores (I’m paraphrasing here). Because cervical cancer is God’s punishment for not keeping your legs shut... or maybe it’s that young girls are too dumb to realize the shot does not make them completely invulnerable to STIs.

Let’s just wait for the same outcry about how the HPV vaccine will make young men promiscuous and careless  - but maybe don’t hold your breath. 

While I understand the general concern about new vaccines, if we want to use the shot to protect girls from HPV (at least girls who happen to be heterosexual), it makes sense to offer the vaccine to boys too.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I have to say that I'm really glad I have a few years before having to make the decision on this vaccine for either of my children. I'm extremely uncomfortable with it, given some of the reactions that have been associated with it. That's not to say I think it's going to make my children more likely to be promiscuous --- not at all. But from a parent's perspective, it's hard to say which side of this particular fence the most risk is on.

[Grouchy Old Girl]

I'd be interested in hearing about any side effects. I haven't read of any myself, and my doctor said if he had girls at home he would certainly want them to get the shot.

In our own family there are 3 of us who have flirted too close to cervical cancer to casually dismiss any preventative treatment that will spare women this scourge.

Barring serious side effects, every kid should get this shot.

It's a no-brainer folks.

[Jen]

It's only a no-brainer if you fail to do any research. I'm not anti-vax at all, but there are just too many unanswered questions out there, for people who bothers to do a little research, to make me feel comfortable with this one. To each their own, but to insinuate anyone with reservations about a new, rushed-to-market vaccine that has been associated with some rather scary risks isn't thinking is rather ignorant.