In which I rant against Gardasil

[bluejeanbaby78]

I really cannot stand the Gardasil commercials.

I don't like that they are lying to the American public. That's exactly what they're doing. Lying. It is NOT a cancer vaccine. It just simply isn't. It may prevent certain strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). It does not prevent all strains of the virus, though. And only one or two of the strains

Comments

[bgreane]

I understand how you feel, and I agree that people need to take more care when they put things in their bodies instead of just trusting the news and medical professionals that tell them to get it.

Having said that, I got Gardasil when it was first available. My mom had cervical cancer and she sat me down and described what she had to go through in order to get healthy again. She said that it was my decision but she supported anything that would keep me from getting cervical cancer. So I went to my doctor and talked with her about it, she said that for someone with my history the gain would outweigh the risks. I've never had any problems, and neither have any of my friends who've all gotten over the last two years or so.

[bluejeanbaby78]

That's sort of where my train of thought was headed but never arrived. I'm not like OMGNEVERGETTHISEVILVACCINE because, dude, that would be creepy. And I strive to be pretty uncreepy

[bgreane]

lol, you weren't creepy and definitely didn't offend. My class last quarter spent a lot of time talking about the medical industry and how a lot of the time it takes advantage of people's ignorance and trust. Plus it's a business too, so they're usually concerned with their money and convenience.

So I'm all about the whole educate yourself thing, but at the same time I know what my mom went through so on the flip side I'm like, omg don't you know how horrible this is for a woman to go through?! Lol, it's a difficult balance.

[grayalgae]

My sister has HPV and has got Gardasil last year for that reason. But the pharmacy she went to were very deceptive about the cost. They told her it would be $200 and included three shots, but when she went back for shot #2, they informed her that it was $200 per shot and that the first $200 would be a total waste if she didn't spend another $400 to get the last two shots. So she was pretty much forced to part with $600 that she wouldn't have spent if she'd have known that in the first place. So I'm pretty anti-Garasil, but for a different reason than you. I actually completely agree with you, too, though. It's all just ridiculous.

[bluejeanbaby78]

Drug companies in general suck at life. They spend millions on their cutesy commercials and advertising and that's why the price of everything is so damn high. And then it promotes the "talk to your doctor about *our drug*" and people do, even if they have no reason to, just because they get paranoid from being bombarded by ads for medicine all day long.

I'm sorry your sister went through that; that's horrible.