HPV
OK, so this is old news (to some of you) but the state of Texas is in a bit of a controversy after the governor decided to mandate that all 12-year-old girls get the HPV vaccine. I, am crazed about this topic.
Yes, yes, yes - you, as a parent don't want to think about your little girl being sexually active at all, let alone at the tender age of 12. And yes, having sex at that age is obscene. And yes, not all girls are "doing it" in jr. high. But some are. Many more are today than fom my generation (and I'm only 30, so what does that say about how quickly times are changing?). And better still, you aren't necessarily going to be "prepared" when your daughter is sexually active (she could be 15 and you still think she wouldn't be active till college). Let's face reality people and REALIZE that preventative measures are the only true safe-haven against things out there that will harm your child... if increasing your likelihood of developing cervical cancer could be merely categorized as "harmful."
HPV is an STD. Yes, you should be wearing a jimmy hat when engaged in sex (if you are smart). But here's some fun factoids about STDs and sex in this country. Standard tests cover things like: HIV (which takes longer to get results), Herpes I & II
Gonorrhea, Syphillis, Chlamydia, and Hepatitis B & C. Did you see me list HPV in there? That's because there is no way to test for HPV until you, as a woman, already have it. Too late, thanks for playing, you can't try again.
Some of the aforementioned STDs are treatable (like Syphillis) and some are avoidable (I got a round of vaccines for Hepatitus B when my mother found out I was sexually active in high school). And some are deadly, like HIV. So, why in the hell aren't we freaking out about HPV which can also be deadly by increasing our risks of developing cancer?!.
HPV is silent. You could have it, and not know it. You could... never know it and be just fine your whole life. You could also get the form that shows itself as genital warts that not only never go away but can be painful, unsightly, and, let's be honest, ruin your sex life forever and ever, amen.
I had an irregular pap done about 4 years ago. My gyne increased the frequency of having this test done in order to monitor whether or not I was developing cervical cancer. After moving to VA, the doctor here continued the same frequent testing until finally doing a biopsy. The results were negative - phew! But I did have HPV. And for me, that meant frequent screwy results. And those results will always need to be monitored because, let's be frank, I will most likely get cervical cancer. That's a pretty shitty diagnosis when you & your husband were STD tested years ago (my husband who never had unprotected sex before me) and we never even thought about it before deciding to have unprotected sex. Now, granted, my husband isn't planning on going out in the world and spreading this virus. But someone I once dated - is. And he doesn't know it. And the girlfriend he's shagging up with, doesn't know it either. And we, all the women involved, have just increased our risks of cervical cancer. All because of one untestable, untreatable but totally avoidable disease.
Now, again, I ask you. What in the hell are all the mothers in Texas griping about exactly?
Yes, yes, yes - you, as a parent don't want to think about your little girl being sexually active at all, let alone at the tender age of 12. And yes, having sex at that age is obscene. And yes, not all girls are "doing it" in jr. high. But some are. Many more are today than fom my generation (and I'm only 30, so what does that say about how quickly times are changing?). And better still, you aren't necessarily going to be "prepared" when your daughter is sexually active (she could be 15 and you still think she wouldn't be active till college). Let's face reality people and REALIZE that preventative measures are the only true safe-haven against things out there that will harm your child... if increasing your likelihood of developing cervical cancer could be merely categorized as "harmful."
HPV is an STD. Yes, you should be wearing a jimmy hat when engaged in sex (if you are smart). But here's some fun factoids about STDs and sex in this country. Standard tests cover things like: HIV (which takes longer to get results), Herpes I & II
Gonorrhea, Syphillis, Chlamydia, and Hepatitis B & C. Did you see me list HPV in there? That's because there is no way to test for HPV until you, as a woman, already have it. Too late, thanks for playing, you can't try again.
Some of the aforementioned STDs are treatable (like Syphillis) and some are avoidable (I got a round of vaccines for Hepatitus B when my mother found out I was sexually active in high school). And some are deadly, like HIV. So, why in the hell aren't we freaking out about HPV which can also be deadly by increasing our risks of developing cancer?!.
HPV is silent. You could have it, and not know it. You could... never know it and be just fine your whole life. You could also get the form that shows itself as genital warts that not only never go away but can be painful, unsightly, and, let's be honest, ruin your sex life forever and ever, amen.
I had an irregular pap done about 4 years ago. My gyne increased the frequency of having this test done in order to monitor whether or not I was developing cervical cancer. After moving to VA, the doctor here continued the same frequent testing until finally doing a biopsy. The results were negative - phew! But I did have HPV. And for me, that meant frequent screwy results. And those results will always need to be monitored because, let's be frank, I will most likely get cervical cancer. That's a pretty shitty diagnosis when you & your husband were STD tested years ago (my husband who never had unprotected sex before me) and we never even thought about it before deciding to have unprotected sex. Now, granted, my husband isn't planning on going out in the world and spreading this virus. But someone I once dated - is. And he doesn't know it. And the girlfriend he's shagging up with, doesn't know it either. And we, all the women involved, have just increased our risks of cervical cancer. All because of one untestable, untreatable but totally avoidable disease.
Now, again, I ask you. What in the hell are all the mothers in Texas griping about exactly?
posted by Brooke Ullman at 1:02 PM
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