HPV in Israel and abroad.

amother

Sat, Jul 11 2020, 10:37 pm

I’m in the US. I feel pressured to give the HPV medication to my teens by the pediatricians. Most recently the doctor told me to explain my reasons to her. I said I felt like the shot wasn’t proven and I didn’t know the benefits to be worth the risk. There is very vague information about the benefits when I looked at the pamphlet and online. I couldn’t put my words together on the final objection. I think that some of these medications aren’t compatible with Jewish DNA. A sister had an issue after getting it. Are pediatricians asking families to give this in Israel and other countries?

amother

Ivory

Sat, Jul 11 2020, 11:37 pm

I am in NY. I give all mandatory vaccines. I dont give the HPV. I'd like it to be around for a longer period of time before giving it to my kids. Its not a mandatory vaccine so you do not need to feel pressured to give it. Its an STD, so I would not put it in the same category as illnesses which are easily spread. HPV can also be treated if detected early enough and does not need to lead to cancer.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 2:46 am

oneofakind wrote:

You can also tell your pediatrician that when they were researching cervical cancer, they studied two groups who rarely got it-nuns and Orthodox Jews.

There is no way to know how or why someone might end up getting cervical cancer and why one should give the HPV vaccine.
One could marry someone who had multiple partners, one could have been raped. There are multiple reasons. There is no guarantee that just because one is a frum woman that they are definitely not going to get this.

amother

Mustard

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 2:49 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

I agree. My daughter had the vaccine and I was shocked at how many of her friends’ parents didn’t let their girls have it.

Also, and this is a tough one for people to hear here, but the reality is that some teens do engage in pre-marital behavior. Yes, even the ones you perceive as “good” ones. I know you are all certain that your daughter is sheltered and would never do this, but why not protect her anyway? My daughter has no desire to even look at boys let alone touch them, but if there is a way to protect her from a potential cancer, I’m in.

amother

Bisque

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 2:52 am

I have a friend who is dying of cervical cancer. It's likely caused by a vaccine preventable strain. She had her cancer caught fairly early--it did not respond adequately to treatment.

I hope my children will do the right thing. I am not willing to risk anyone's life on it. Rarely isn't enough.

amother

Puce

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 3:16 am

I vaccinate but did not give this one.
1) it has not been around long enough to know the side effects-I have heard, but don't know if it is factual, that it has been linked with IF/difficult conceiving.
2) they don't know how long the vaccine lasts. To my understanding, about 10 years.
I am not saying I am permanently opposed to the idea, but I don't feel it necessary at this time.

amother

Aubergine

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 7:19 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Other than rape, I don't see these as valid reasons to give the vaccine to every frum girl as a matter of routine.

I'm a BT and when I decided to become s-xually active I decided to get the HPV vaccine first. Unfortunately I live in Israel and when I asked the doctor he gave me a prescription but insurance didn't cover it and it would cost about 500 shekels per shot and you need 3 shots. So I didn't get it because it was out of my budget, which is really sad because now I have HPV but b"h it hasn't caused any cellular changes yet so I am only doing frequent check ups.

So what I'm saying is: it's unnecessary to give every frum girl the vaccine, just offer to pay for it should she want it someday.

amother

Aubergine

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 7:41 am

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

It's given in Israel routinely in grade 8 I believe (for free). The nurse does it at school (maybe not in charedi schools? I have no idea).
Most girls take it, but you can opt out.

I was 21 when I wanted it and found out I'd have to pay about 1500 Nis for the series. If it's only good for 10 years, 9th grade would protect you from age 14 to 24. I'm pretty sure I got HPV when I was 26 or 27. I don't know why they don't make the vaccine free or at least cheap for 20 something's.

amother

Oak

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 7:43 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

I've never heard it's good only for ten years. Interesting.

ETA - I just googled and it seems that it still works after ten years. They don't know how many years it's effective for since the vaccine itself is only 10 or 15 years old.

It doesn't say it's no longer effective after 10 yrs.

amother

Mustard

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 8:14 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

I am in the U.K. and it is free. They are also giving it to boys now. I am happy to protect my children, just in case.

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 8:17 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

Look, this is obviously a very charged topic. I went to listen to a shiur a few years ago given by the Eden Center, a center having to do with mikvah, taharat hamishpacha, women's bodies, all of those things, and more, here in Israel.
It was a shiur and science lecture together about the sources of why one should give their daughters the vaccine. And one of the arguments from the charedi world was just like you are saying.

But aubergine amother, first of all, if one is chas ve chalila raped, and never had the vaccine, its already too late Sad

But you have literally no idea what your daughter or anyone else's daughter will get up to in life or who she will end up that also might have been with multiple partners. I dont care if we are talking about an extremely sheltered girl. There are no guarantees in life. There is just no way of knowing what she (or her future spouse) might have done in their youth. No way to know.

This is just a protection.

amother

Ruby

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 10:00 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

If you have HPV, don’t you want to spare your children the same? HPV can cause deadly cancers in men as well.

amother

Smokey

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 10:30 am

There are many threads on this topic here. Do an imamother search of HPV and you'll get many previous discussions and links of articles to read for you to feel comfortable with what you decide. However, you are the patient and you get to decide, no reason necessary. I would not let a doctor pressure me into something I wasn't comfortable with.

Here are some threads to get you started:
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....84351
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....82982
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....72561
https://www.imamother.com/foru.....51971

shaqued_almond

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 10:42 am

Ive received the hpv vaccine before 2010 when it just came out and had no side effects. If she had no side effects to other vaccines your daughter will probably be fine. The Jewish mom of a friend passed away from cervical cancer. She had only one partner so I don't think she got it through hpv.