Gardasil

The first draft is in! It’s a lot of “information” and not as much story. I need some ideas on where to turn for stories. I have interviews with students who have taken the shots and those who have not, but nothing outstanding “stories” came out of those. One idea I have, which I am not sure that we can do, is that I am planning on getting the shot- could I/ should I include stories of my own journey of getting the vaccination? I’m, again, not sure there’s much of a “story” their either. Thanks for reading! Caitlin

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“Of the approximately 6 million new cases of genital HPV in the US every year, it is estimated that 74% of them occur in 15- to 24- year olds,” says Merck, the creators of the new HPV vaccine, Gardasil. Gardasil has become a buzz. Advertising therefore targets students, and Kalamazoo College women are no exception. Some women are very informed, but others only hear bits and pieces about HPV and Gardasil. HPV is a disease that will affect 50% of sexually active people, and can lead to harmful problems like cervical cancer and genital warts. So what is it really, who needs it, what do college students need to know and what are students saying about it?

The basics: Gardasil protects against 4 out of the 100s of strands of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The four strands (strands numbered 6, 11, 16, and18) are reported by Merck to cause 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Women and girls aged 9 to 26 are able to receive this vaccination. The vaccination is given in three separate shots at zero, two and six months. Gardasil is available at our health center for $128 per shot. More insurance companies are starting to cover the shots, but many still do not. Most commonly reported side effects are minimal and include: pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site; fever; nausea; and dizziness.

What is important to know is the connection between HPV, cervical cancer and genital warts. HPV is a virus that is detected in women through annual Pap exams, but is impossible to test for in men (infected men are only “discovered” if they develop genital warts). Both men and women’s bodies can often clear the virus on their own, but if the don’t (and it remains undetected and untreated), some strands can develop into cervical cancer and genital warts. HPV strands number 16 and 18 together are the strands linked to 70% of the cases of cervical cancer. It is important to remember that not all strands of HPV that lead to cervical cancer are covered, so it is important for women to continue to get yearly Pap exams.

“You could become one less life affected by cervical cancer” is the current ad campaign for Gardasil, but is that enough to draw students in to taking the vaccine? Students here at Kalamazoo College say that their number one fear about the vaccine and often their reason for not getting the exam is the fact that it is still a new vaccine. Senior student Nicki Ritchie refers to past FDA approved drugs and vaccines which proved to have harmful affects long afterwards (like the polio vaccine). Most students showed a fear in the newness of the vaccines, even those who are taking the vaccine. The FDA report on the new vaccine in their September/October issue of their consumer magazine gives more details about the study of these tests that is often not discussed with people taking the exam. Twenty-one thousand women aged 16 to 26 were studied internationally in four studies, but time periods are not stated (additional studies were conducted with girls aged 9 to 16 as well). As members of a well-informed community, it is important to share this information with our community to help our students make informed decisions about if the vaccine is right for them.

So would students who are taking it recommend it? It depends. One student who is almost done with her set of shots says, “I wouldn’t whole-heartedly recommend it, no.” She is another student who worries about how much research has been done on the long term effects of the vaccine. Her mother made her get her shots- she doesn’t think she would have otherwise. She recommends to other women, “Inform yourself and make your own decision.”

Another deterrent for many women is the price of the shots. At our Health Center, a full dose costs $384. Many health insurance companies are not covering the shots, so that is a large price for people who do not deem themselves at-risk. Students need to check regularly with their insurance companies to make sure that their coverage doesn’t change as companies are beginning to include Gardasil in their coverage plans. Additionally, an important resource which students rarely know about is called the Vaccine Patient Assistance Program available through Merck, the company who created Gardasil. This program helps people without vaccine insurance pay for their shots.

The long term potential benefits for Gardasil are hard to ignore. The financial and emotional benefit such as the greatly reduced risk of having abnormal Pap exams returned in your future and the reduced risk of having to have treatment for HPV (which is done by removing viral cells from the cervix in a reportedly painful and unpleasant process by students who have had the procedure). But more than just worrying about having abnormal exams and preventative treatment, the comfort of drastically reducing your risk of getting cervical cancer or genital warts is extremely important for students to consider when deciding if the vaccination is for them. Kalamazoo College women need to inform themselves and find out if the vaccination is appropriate for them.