Very cool that you did it - I too paid out of pocket, but considered the cost acceptable relative to the benefit.

As to a hard age limit, I wonder about the underlying data - there is no way a blanket age limit makes any sense, as each persons immune response is different.  

Why is the vaccine only recommended for girls/women ages 9 through 26?  From the CDC web site: "The vaccine has been extensively tested in 9 through 26 year-old females so information is only available about vaccine safety and protection for girls/women of this age group. However, studies on the vaccine are now being done in boys/men, as well as in women older than 26 years of age. The FDA will consider licensing the vaccine for these other groups when there is research to show that it is safe and effective in these groups. "

Its is a gamble, but a pretty safe one given the risks most folks reading here are used to taking in stride.  My bet is that later data will show the vaccine effective for men, women, and broader age groups.
 -- Doc

The vaccine has not been shown to be ineffective over age 27, it has just not been studied extensively in that age group and thus was not licensed for use because, as TheDoctor_IsIn cited, it has only been studied in the younger age group.  Studies in men have not been published (but are ongoing) - there is no reason to expect the vaccine will not work in men.  The important point is that the vaccine is only effective before one has been exposed to the HPV strains it is directed against.  The older we get and the more partners we have, the more likely we are to have been exposed to HPV (which is why the company picked the younger age group to study in the first place).  It should work in older women as long as they have not already been exposed to HPV.

-- Modified on 8/13/2007 10:30:13 PM

-- Modified on 8/13/2007 10:30:49 PM

Only thing sexier than a bright girl...

..is a Genius bright grl next door teaching me new things about sex I didn't know!

 You rock GND!

 -- Doc (and dont for a minute think I have forgotten about that sexy shot of you in leather you posted 2 years ago!)

From the Journal of American STD Association
March 1997, 24:3 An In Vitro Evaluation of Condoms...


   An In Vitro Evaluation of Condoms as Barriers to a Small Virus.

   Original Article
   Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 24(3):161-164, March 1997.
   LYTLE, C. DAVID PhD*; ROUTSON, LICIA B. BS+; SEABORN, GERALD B. BS++; DIXON, LURLENE G. BS++; BUSHAR, HARRY F. PhD*; CYR, W. HOWARD PhD*

   Abstract:
   Background: Because of the possible presence of small holes, the effectiveness of condoms as barriers to virus transmission is controversial.

   Goals: To determine the proportion of condoms that allow virus penetration and the amounts of virus that penetrate.

   Study Design: A sensitive, static test was used to evaluate different condom types as barriers to a small virus, including brands with or without lubrication and ones of different materials. The test included some physiologic-based parameters and some parameters that exaggerated expected actual use conditions.

   Results: Under test conditions, 2.6% (12 of 470) of the latex condoms allowed some virus penetration; the median level of penetration was 7 x 10-4 ml. Lubricated condoms performed similarly to nonlubricated ones. Polyurethane condoms yielded results higher than but not statistically different from those for latex condoms.

   Conclusions: Few condoms allowed any virus penetration. The median amount of penetration for latex condoms when extrapolated to expected actual use conditions was 1 x 10-5 ml (volume of semen). Thus, even for the few condoms that do allow virus penetration, the typical level of exposure to semen would be several orders of magnitude lower than for no condom at all.

Not exactly true - see link.

GARDASIL is the only vaccine that may help guard against diseases that are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) Types 6, 11, 16, and 18:
• Cervical cancer
• Cervical abnormalities that can sometimes lead to cervical cancer
• Genital warts
HPV Types 16 and 18 cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and HPV Types 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital warts cases.

Re: HPV strains but doesn't break

I believe they just gave you bad information Zayzha, something I see waaay more often than you might suspect. The current vaccine covers the four strains that overwhelmingly cause the majority of severe health consequences - but not all.

Pulled from several sites:
The vaccine is targeted against four major strains of human papilloma virus. Strains 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. Strains 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of genital warts and the potentially devastating juvenile respiratory papillomatosis, which can be life threatening in children and adolescents.

There are more than 100 strains of human papilloma virus and nearly 500,000 cases of cervical cancer worldwide diagnosed each year. Some 290,000 women die of the disease worldwide a year.

There are over 100 strains of HPV that can affect humans, and these are divided in two groups: high-risk and low-risk for cancer. The low-risk strains are not believed to cause cancer, but may result in genital warts. With 6.2 million new infections yearly, approximately 20 million Americans, ages 15-49, are currently infected with at least one strain of HPV — half of these are sexually active 15- to 24-year-olds. The majority of these infections are asymptomatic and clear up on their own without causing cancer, precancerous lesions, or genital warts; however, 1 percent of sexually active adults have visible genital warts at any given time.

The new vaccine is designed to protect against HPV strains 6, 11, 16, and 18. HPV 6 and 11 cause 90 percent of genital warts while HPV 16 and 18 cause 70 percent of cervical cancers.

Because the virus is so common and widespread, you are spot-on right that testing is not effective.  

But the effectiveness of the vaccine has nothing to do with age, puberty, nor with having sex - only with prior exposure to the strains that cause disease.  

Whilst most everyone will eventually be exposed to multiple strains, only a few of these lead to disease ...these are the ones included in the vaccine. This is the very first cancer that can be prevented by a simple shot, a miracle of modern medical science barely a year old.  When you consider how few people can actually find a clitoris in the dark, widespread medical misinformation is to be expected - but not tolerated.

Bottom line: Anyone to whom condoms seem like a reasonable (but not perfect) way to limit risk should get protected against the disease-causing strains of HPV.  

From Rutgers Med School Website:

* Even in someone already infected with HPV, the vaccine still makes sense as it can protect against other strains of HPV.
* The vaccine protects against the most common strains of HPV, but not others.
* Since not all strains are covered, regular gyn exams and Pap smears are still necessary.

There are actually more than 100 different strains of HPV.  Of these, approximately 30 exist in the genital area and can cause genital warts (condyloma acuminata).  These 30 strains can be further broken down to "high" and "low" risk strains.

High risk strains may cause changes in a Pap smear which may rarely progress to cancer.  There are approximately 13 high-risk strains of HPV, of which two (16 & 18) are believed to cause about 70% of all cervical cancer.

Low risk strains sometimes cause changes in a Pap smear, but do not progress to cancer. Of the low-risk strains, two (6 & 11) are most likely to cause genital warts.

 -- Doc