This post is made possible with support from the American Cancer Society. All opinions are my own.

The HPV vaccine

I have three kids ages 9 – 15, so the HPV vaccine isn’t new to me. I was, however, shocked to learn that only 43% of kids in Texas receive this vaccine. My older two received it, and there’s no question my youngest will as well. My goal is to help others understand why we gave it to our kids, and why we think you should consider doing the same.

I won’t lie—I was on the fence when first presented with the decision to give my children this vaccine. I mean, did they need it? My kids will be smart about choosing partners. Right? They would probably only have one or two, and it would be years before that was even a concern. Why bother to add one more poke? Plus, I was reading horror stories on blogs of HPV vaccines gone wrong after just the first dose. 

Trust your Pediatrician

I completely trust our pediatrician, so I asked his opinion—as a parent, not as a physician. He told me his kids would be getting the HPV vaccine because it was safe, and it was cancer prevention. We needed to make this decision between the ages of 9 and 12 because it was the best time for their immune systems to respond so it could be the most effective. Effective at what? Protecting against 6 different types of cancer. Yes, HPV is a sexually-transmitted virus, but it is extremely common and it could lead to cancer. We said yes. My son got his first shot that day.

Now before you ask how I could be so easily swayed, I wasn’t exactly swayed. I was looking for reassurance. I had done my research. Most things pointed to a “yes.” My kids already had every other vaccine on-schedule. So why was this such a big deal? Like I said earlier, I guess I just had it stuck in my head that the HPV vaccine was tied to sex, my 10-year-old was not having sex. I didn’t want to think about that EVER happening.

Prevention

The reality is, it will, someday. He might choose to have one partner, and that partner exposes him to HPV. This will protect him. How would I feel if I could have prevented that exposure from harming him? No parent wants to think of their child’s sexual future, but it will happen. Whether your child waits for marriage or gives Charlie Sheen a run for his money (God, I hope not!), they will someday have sex.

My family has dealt with way too many cancer losses. Did I want the next loss to be my child?  If I could do one small thing to reduce the chance of my kids getting certain kinds of cancer, why wouldn’t I? I decided right there that my kids would also get the vaccine.

Do your Research and talk to your child’s Pediatrician

If your research into the HPV vaccine is new, I highly recommend you talk to your child’s pediatrician. They are still there for you, and they want your child to stay on track, even during COVID-19. You chose him/her, so presumably, you trust them. You can also check out Cancer.org. They are a trusted resource, and they have plenty of information on the benefits of getting the vaccine and when to give it to your child.