I got the gardasil shot last year and honestly didn’t think twice about doing it. In the future, if I ever have daughters (or sons, they’re trying to develop one for males) I wouldn’t be against them being vaccinated when they were young. Because while I think the HPV test is important it also isn’t going to catch all strains (some can remain hidden), and if it is only available or recommended to women over a certain age I question what could be happening to women under that age range.

My family has been effected by cervical cancer and I wanted to take precautions against something, I mean it is what could be the first vaccination against a deadly cancer, it seems like the smartest choice.

But in no way am I saying that Gardasil is a replacement for the test, I do plan on being tested as well even after getting the vaccination because there are a few strains of HPV that are not protected by the shot.

Ash – exactly! I was going to say something about this fact too.

Doctors aren’t always right either. Sure you can ask their opinion but only you will know what is best for you. And plus I would be careful as to who is lining your doctor’s pockets which we seem to never know. It’s risky either way. But everyone makes and does what’s best for themselves, at least you should

My doctor tried to push me to have the Gradisil shot, but I declined becuase I don’t think there has been enough research on it yet. I am in no way advocating that girls and women shouldn’t get it, but I am just saying make your own informed decision.

I do applaud Marissa for speaking out about this issue though. It is so important for women to take care of their health, and anyone who brings awarness to this issue should be applauded in my book. I am so happy she is healthy now and has her little Zev on the way!!

I went for a regular pap test last year and was told I have HPV, just did another test and was told it is still there, but my pap smears are normal. I am hoping this will disappear on it’s own. I am also glad that more and more information is coming out about this virus, because it is serious..

Just so people are aware, you don’t have to be sexually active to contract HPV (“heavy petting” is enough to transmit it), and getting the vaccine after you are already infected with HPV actually increases your cancer risk (yet the manufacturer doesn’t recommend any HPV screening before administering the vaccine).

I’m glad Marissa is spreading the word about better screening tools instead of just the vaccine.

I know some people are going to find this hard to believe, but you can’t always trust what doctors tell you. They’re only human, and they make mistakes too. Just yesterday, my fiance had an appointment with his dermatologist. The dr. tried to prescribe him biologics which are a type of injection that can be used to treat people with certain skin conditions. Fortunately my fiance declined and said that he’d like to research it a little more first. Good thing because after reading up on it a little bit, we discovered that doctors aren’t even supposed to prescribe them unless a TB test and chest x-ray are performed first and also a health history (my fiance’s father has multiple sclerosis and in the fine print of the medication, it warns that it can’t be used in patients who are at increased risk for autoimmune disorders like that). If my fiance had just naively listened to his doctor and taken the treatment, he could have put himself in serious danger! I personally won’t be receiving the gardisil vaccine because I don’t trust anything that hasn’t been researched for at least 15-20 years. I think I’m making an intelligent, educated, informed decision by turning it down but that’s just my choice.

It’s interesting and yet sad. I wish her all the best with her son Zev!

God bless Marissa and glad everything worked out well for her, and she will be a mom soon.

I am a scientist who screens Pap smears for any HPV-related changes. While I strongly encourage education programs about HPV, this article is a bit misleading.

While the Digene test does detect high-grade HPV strains- the type that if left untreated could become cancer (there are also low grade types that won’t progress) that does not mean treatment will be available earlier, nor does it mean that any pre-cancerous or cancerous changes will manifest. It simply means that the virus is in the body and if the immune system weakens, among other factors, it may cause abnormal changes to the cervix. Until these changes are recognised, for example in a Pap smear, nothing can be done.

Here in Australia, the digene test is used particularly for women who in the past have had pre-cancerous changes that have been treated. The test will detect if the treatment has removed the virus from the body. One reader commented that HPV can’t be ‘cured’. It can be over time, and sometimes the body clears it without us knowing we ever had it, but HPV is so prevelant that you could contract another strain at a later time.

The best way to prevent cervical cancer is to have regular Pap smears. In Australia, the recommended interval is every two years, but this is different in other countries. Check with your doctor what the correct interval for your country is. I must also stress that this includes women who have been vaccinated as the vaccine does not protect against all strains of HPV.