Ask the Sexpert: Oct. 6, 2011

Dear Sexpert,

What’s the deal with Gardasil? I keep hearing how important it is for girls to take it, but now I’m hearing that there are harmful side effects.

—Guarding against Gardasil

Dear Guarding,

Gardasil, a vaccine for the human papillomavirus, was approved for females 9–26 years old on June 8, 2006. Since then, over 40 million women and girls and a growing number of men have been vaccinated, but not without controversy.

Most of this controversy stems from the accusation that women who are vaccinated are more likely to feel that they can be sexually active at a younger age. This has led to strong claims about the vaccine, such as that it causes mental retardation or death. In August 2009, the Food and Drug Administration released a report to reaffirm their support of the vaccine and to inform the public about its positive and negative effects.

The positive effects are clear, as studies have shown the drug to be nearly 100 percent effective in preventing the HPV infections that lead to cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide. The report also discussed the 12,424 adverse effects reported following Gardasil vaccination, of which 772 were considered “serious.” Most of the non-serious adverse effects — fainting, pain at the injection site, headache, nausea and fever — are printed on the package and are made known to those taking the drug.

The more serious effects, like Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system that can cause paralysis and death, did not present sufficient patterns, prompting the FDA to conclude that Gardasil was not a factor in these incidents. One effect that did seem to be linked to Gardasil, blood clots, was extremely rare and almost exclusively occurred in women with underlying risk factors such as hormonal birth control, obesity and genetic clotting abnormalities. On the whole, the most common side effects that are seen at University Health Services are pain, redness or swelling, fever and fainting, and more serious side effects that occur in less than 1 percent of patients.

HPV has also been found to cause genital warts and anal cancer, so, coupled with the fact that 50 percent of sexually active people have the virus, the FDA has approved the drug for men as well. Many health care professionals actively promote the use of the vaccination in both men and women as an important practice of preventative care.

Because Gardasil touches on the politically charged issue of teen sex, it is bound to be the subject of much debate in the media. This means that the numbers are often thrown around without any context by both supporters and detractors of the vaccine. Therefore, like all important medical decisions, parents and young women should make these decisions in consultation with their doctor and by keeping themselves informed of the facts from trusted bodies like the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here on campus, UHS can provide information and counseling to men and women who are considering the vaccine, as well as administer the vaccine at McCosh Health Center. It is available for $144 in a three-dose series, and those on the Student Health Plan have a $200 deductible.

— The Sexpert

The Sexpert is written by a team of peer sexual health educators and fact-checked by University health professionals. You can submit questions to sexpert@dailyprincetonian.com. Don’t be shy!