Is there a test to see if you have the virus already? So I know whether I should take the vaccine.
Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
321–330 of 393 posts
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#322Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Denmark its not recommended for women over a certain age. So please don’t get it regardless of age. Its not really considered effective for women who have been sexually active for some time. Which is why its only recommended for girls, not women. https://www.ssi.dk/vaccinationer/boernevaccination/vaccinati... . Tldr; Dont rush to get a vaccine that is probably not effective for you. Make an appointment with your d…
There is many different strains of HPV, the likelihood of already have contracted them all is small. It will still protect you against strains you don't have. It also protects against genital warts. The vaccionation program targets young girls because thats the most efficient time to take it and has highest benefit/cost. You will still reap benefits of taking it later. I dont see any reason not to take if you get it…
This. Protects against strains you don't have, reduces the spreading. We (male that have sex with females, and haven't been vaccinated) are a huge infection vector.
My doctors have generally refused vaccinating me for years (Male/43yo), but finally a new (female) doctor told me it's a good idea. I'm not in a risk group, so I have to pay for the vaccine: Gardasil 9, 3 doses, 3 months away of each other, ~€200 each, although studies say that 2 doses might be enough.
In reality, you can pay to a private doctor so they write you a prescription, but I feel more validated if my doctor says it's OK :)
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#323Earlier quoted context omitted.
The evolution of who gets HPV vaccines is really interesting. At first it was young women, as vaccinating young men had a very marginal decrease in cervical cancer rates via indirect protection (which itself is a function of how many young women are vaccinated). Then as HPV infection was linked to more cancers, vaccinating young men crossed the cost-effectiveness thresholds many governments use. Vaccinating older pop…
But from a personal POV it is very cost-effective! Even if it is not so at the population at as large group.
Do you mean from the POV of a particular high risk (or high income) person or from the POV of every individual?
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#324Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you mean there is a causality between less sex and HPV vaccination, when you write “confounder”? I can’t find any study supporting this, hence double checking.
I think maybe they mean that the fact that people are having less sex is confounding the cause-effect relationship between vaccination and fewer cases of HPV. I don't know about people having less sex, though. That seems hard to believe.
A generation of ‘virgins’ is leading America’s next sexual revolution
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/jun/...
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#325I think the history of this is something like:
- it was an expensive vaccine
- it was therefore initially introduced to women as a cervical cancer thing
- HPV however hits men at around half the cancer rate of women but through throat cancer
Or something like that. So actually the benefit to men is of a similar order of magnitude as that to women but it was just given to women to save money. Every child should be given it.
Edit: Total Rate (of HPV caused cancers) in Women: Approximately 15.9 cases per 100,000 females per year.
Total Rate in Men: Approximately 9.3 cases per 100,000 males per year.
Edit 2: Severity-Adjusted HPV Cancer Burden:
When adjusted for the severity and impact on life, the relative burden of HPV-related cancers shifts. Cancers with higher mortality rates and more debilitating treatments, like oropharyngeal cancer, carry a heavier weight.
Total Burden in Men: Approximately 135 DALYs per 100,000 males per year.
Total Burden in Women: Approximately 125 DALYs per 100,000 females per year.
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#326If you're living in the US: please consider getting the vaccine, ragardless of your age. It was covered by my (rather shitty) health insurance. It consists of just 2 (EDIT: 3 for adults!) doses. It is recommended for both Males and Females.
It is actually not straightforward to do. Safeway Pharmacy refused to actually give me the vaccine when I showed up saying I'm not in a group that's eligible. One Medical told me that it would be a $400/shot 3-shot regimen. I'll probably just travel to India some time to visit family and get Cervavac there instead of Gardasil here. It's about $20/shot.
The Walgreens pharmacist scolded my 35 year old girlfriend for getting it, saying that it was useless at her age. She insisted and he reluctantly administered the first dose (and later got the rest at another location). He even questioned her motives for getting it once she was in the room. I was appalled by the whole interaction.
Maybe I could have understood if I had said she was my wife. But it is still stupid to assume that there will be no other sexual partners ever again in her life.
With the prevalence of HPV, it's likely that we have one or more strains already, but who knows. Maybe the strain of a future partner is what will trigger cancer.
If anyone here can enlighten me about the pharmacist's attitude, I would be grateful.
I got vaccinated way before I met her, and even as a male I didn't get any comments from the pharmacists that gave me the shots.
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#327Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is now a global problem. The guy who started it, Andrew Wakefield, is British, and we have long had antivaxxers in Europe too. Prior to Covid, the antivaxx scene was vaguely left-and-green oriented, biomoms, vegans and other "very natural" people; you would expect them to vote for Greens or even more alternative parties. This changed abruptly and now the antivaxx scene is mostly rightwing, but the common base is…
That was the most ignorant comment I have seen on this matter. Nothing about vaccines, just attacks on the people questioning vaccine safety. If you truly believe all vaccines are completely safe I have a bridge to sell to you.
I don't believe that any medication is completely safe, but I am fed up with all the "Gates puts 5G chips in vacciness in order to sterilize humanity" kooks who are the flag-bearers of the entire movement, and I am also fed up with the somewhat less crazy people marching behind them, who nevertheless cling to the long discredited Wakefield paper and scream 'autism, autism!'
The fraudulent Wakefield paper may be one of the most destructive pieces of information released upon mankind.
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#328Earlier quoted context omitted.
A cure is a treatment, a vaccine is a prophylactic. The most dangerous, by far, cancer that this would help mitigate is cervical cancer which makes up about 0.7% of cancer deaths in the US, exclusively amongst women. The overwhelming majority of cervical cancers occur in Africa due to the fact that HIV/AIDS dramatically increases your susceptibility to developing it.
> The overwhelming majority of cervical cancers occur in Africa due to the fact that HIV/AIDS dramatically increases your susceptibility to developing it. Considering we're talking about a sexually transmitted disease, the much higher prevalence in Africa of having multiple simultaneous sexual partners is surely relevant.
> having multiple simultaneous sexual partners is surely relevant.
medically, not really. the vaccine acts the same. epidemiology wise, it makes it more effective, assuming the correct coverage.
I would just suggest that stating that an entire continent of different races/culture/religions "having multiple simultaneous partners" smells just a little bit of "savages over there", which given that we are talking about _evidence_ based outcomes, jars somewhat.
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#329I think the history of this is something like: - it was an expensive vaccine - it was therefore initially introduced to women as a cervical cancer thing - HPV however hits men at around half the cancer rate of women but through throat cancer Or something like that. So actually the benefit to men is of a similar order of magnitude as that to women but it was just given to women to save money. Every child should be giv…
The HPV vaccine became part of the government vaccination program for boys/men 6 years ago (almost to the date) precisely for the reasons you mention. Personally really happy to see this as there was some initial fear mongering related to the HPV vaccine some years ago.
Re: Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
#330Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is actually not straightforward to do. Safeway Pharmacy refused to actually give me the vaccine when I showed up saying I'm not in a group that's eligible. One Medical told me that it would be a $400/shot 3-shot regimen. I'll probably just travel to India some time to visit family and get Cervavac there instead of Gardasil here. It's about $20/shot.
The Walgreens pharmacist scolded my 35 year old girlfriend for getting it, saying that it was useless at her age. She insisted and he reluctantly administered the first dose (and later got the rest at another location). He even questioned her motives for getting it once she was in the room. I was appalled by the whole interaction. Maybe I could have understood if I had said she was my wife. But it is still stupid to…
Gotta love the logic of telling adults not to get the vaccine because its probably too late and you're already infected, while also telling parents not to give it to their kids because it's only for "prostitutes and promiscuous gay men" (per RFK)