I don't think blanket statements pro or con are helpful. We all have a responsibility to make informed decisions about our health and that of our loved ones. I would only trust respected sources like the NIH or other such sites. Reading something on some obscure internet site does not make it the truth or reliable. Taking health advice about vaccinations from C-list celebrities (e.g. Jenny MCarthy and the purported connection between autism and vaccinations) is also not wise.
Do your research, talk to your doctor, and decide for yourself. There are many childhood diseases that have been eradicated because of vaccinations.
The US government has been pushing states to make the HPV vaccine a requirement. I disagree with government interference. It should be an individuals' decision. The government should not have control of our bodies and decisions involving our bodies.
As for as disease risk, so what? Life is a risk. Life is not any fun without taking risks.
Eat More Pussy!
DD, I agree with almost everything you have said. In the end, the decision belongs to each one of us. No one can force us to have shots that we don't want. My point was to be aware of our sources of information in making an intelligent decision.
Thanks everyone for giving such a nice response,,,,if anyone's feelings got hurt then I am really sorry!
I think it is a good idea to talk about any health risk, if the discussion is well informed and based on facts. But this opening statement was very vague and not at all helpful.
I don't think that HPV poses a big threat to men. As far as I know there are very few cases of oral cancer on men caused by it. Furthermore to claim that there is no risk for women performing oral sex is very uninformed. Actually the risk should be about the same, because men can also transmit the virus. Furthermore there have been cases of Gonorrhea and other sexual transmitted diseases found as infections in the oral area on both men and women. The first post read to me like an excuse for men not to go down.
Moving on to the HPV vaccine, I have been given that vaccine a few years ago and so have most of my friends. I have not heard of any cases in which the vaccine caused serious side effects or death. I believe you should inform yourself about the vaccine, talk about it with your doctor and then make an informed decision.