1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told You? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: From housetop Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: This is Kristen and this is Molly, So Molly, uh 5 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast. We talk a lot 6 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 1: about lady things, lots of female hormones, makeup, et cetera. 7 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: But you know what, today, let's switch things around. Let's 8 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: talk about the boys, shall we. Let's hear it for 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: the boys. We got this great reader email from um 10 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: A listener a Gordon in Ontario, and he brought up 11 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: the recent backlash against the HPV vaccine that prevents UH 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: sexually transmitted disease HPV and therefore can help prevent cervical cancer. Gardisill, 13 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: gardisil exactly, and he thought it is interesting that a 14 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: lot of the backlash against HPV was based on the 15 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: idea that it would encourage girls to have sex at 16 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: a young age because they wouldn't have this risk of 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: catching an STD. Right, And Gordon has really just his 18 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: finger on the pulse of current events, because this is 19 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: in the news right now, but not about girls. It's 20 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: actually revolving around boys, because Mark, the company that makes 21 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: garter Sill, is trying to get Gartersil approved for boys 22 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: to get vaccinated. Right now, it's just for girls to 23 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: prevent this HPV, but the new development might be that 24 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: boys get vaccinated too, right, because boys can get HPV 25 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: just like girls, And since a lot of strains of 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: HPV don't show any immediate physical symptoms, a boy might 27 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: not know that he has HPV, and then he and 28 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: a lady friend might have adult relations, and then he 29 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: passes the HPV onto the girl, and then she could 30 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,919 Speaker 1: actually catch a strain of HPV that could cause cervical cancer. 31 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: So it seems like boys could be an important part 32 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: of really solving this, uh this puzzle. Right, So let's 33 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:08,959 Speaker 1: back up real quick and just go over gardasil, what 34 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: it does, what it protects against, and when it doesn't. 35 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: People call it frequently the cervical cancer vaccine, but it's 36 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: important to note that it's not going to protect directly 37 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: against cervical cancer, right. Gardensil is actually formulated to attack 38 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: four specific strains of HPV. The number HPV numbers six, eleven, sixteen, 39 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: and eighteen, and these are the types of HPV that 40 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: are known to potentially cause cervical cancer. So that's why 41 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: they call it cervical cancer vaccine. But like you said, 42 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: it's actually going after HPV. But going after cervical cancer 43 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: indirectly is no small feet because, uh, this disease affects 44 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: and kills nearly three thousand women per year. I mean, 45 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: you know, that's a lot of lives that could be saved, 46 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: which is how Garzia has been marketed to girls. The 47 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: one less campaign could be one less girl that's going 48 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: to get the cervical cancer. Right. And HPV is also 49 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: uh most common sexually transmitted disease right now in the US. 50 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: We have about twenty million people currently infected with it, 51 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: according to Centers for Disease Control, and about six point 52 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: two million Americans get a new HPV infection every year. 53 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: And you got a fifty fifty chance of catching it 54 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: if you're sexually active adult. Right. And HPV, like you know, 55 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: Christmas saying it attacks four strains and they're you know, 56 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: more than a hundred strains of this disease. And you 57 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: know one way that it might affect you would be 58 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 1: genital warts. That's a one way the HPV can manifest itself. Right, 59 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: And even though they're more than a hundred different types 60 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: of HPV, only just two of these strains are responsible 61 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: for about seventy percent of all cervical cancer cases worldwide. 62 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: So it seems like mark is really tapped into UM 63 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: a pretty powerful vaccine here, right, And their studies uphold 64 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: that is shows that it's pretty effective. UM. When they 65 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: were doing test cases, you know, they looked at nearly 66 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: nine thousand women who took guard a cell and they 67 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: prevented a hundred percent of certain HPV related cervical cancer. So, 68 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: I mean that's a huge step forward, a huge dent 69 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: in this process. Right, And the in the CDC actually 70 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: just finished up in two thousand and eight a post 71 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: marketing test phase to see whether or not girls taking 72 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: uh gardasil or more at risk for certain diseases, and 73 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: they concluded that there weren't any adverse side effects. So 74 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: it still has the approval of the f d A. 75 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: But pretty soon after the FDA approved it, there was 76 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: a little bit of a public backlash from parents who 77 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: were concerned about the young age that was being recommended 78 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: for these girls to get vaccinated. Right, the FDA was saying, 79 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: you can get the vaccination as young as nine, but 80 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: really more on the eleven to twelve year old ballpark. 81 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: And you know that was just for some parents, way 82 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: too young to have to explain to a kid why 83 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: they need the shot, because it's a lengthy process. It's 84 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: three vaccinations over an eight month period. I think. So 85 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: if you have to take your kid into the doctor 86 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: at the age of eleven three times to get a shot, 87 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: you know they're gonna want to know why. And so 88 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: when you start talking about cervical cancer and HPV, then 89 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 1: you know people felt you were setting your child up 90 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: to become sexually active at a very young age right 91 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: in the in the backlash really intensified when a handful 92 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: of states, including Texas in Virginia, tried to make GARDASIL 93 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: immunization required for sixth grade girls. Parents were up in arm. 94 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: Some parents at least we're up in arms over the 95 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: thought of a state forcing their young daughters to be 96 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: immunized against sexually transmitted diseases, especially with the vaccine where 97 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: the side effects and the long term effects aren't very 98 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: well known, which leads us into the argument of whether 99 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: boys should get this vaccine because now that we're talking 100 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: about boys potentially getting it. The risk are becoming much 101 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: more the focus of the conversation, not so much the 102 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: issue of promiscuity, but the fact that maybe this vaccine 103 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: isn't safe for everyone, right, I mean, you think of 104 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: cervical cancer as a gender specific disease. You know, obviously 105 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: boys would not be able to physically get cervical cancer, 106 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: So that brings up the question of whether or not 107 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: this should be something that women should take care of exclusively. 108 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: But that also begs the question of let's say there 109 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: is a prostate cancer vaccine that could be available for 110 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: young girls to take. How would the public react to that? 111 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: Would we be as hesitant about boys and girls taking 112 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: a prostate cancer vaccine as we are about cervical cancer 113 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: because it's specifically uh is linked to a common std right, 114 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: it's the sex cancer, as it was described in one 115 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: New York Times article. So the fact that you know, 116 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: we could and you know another Arctic points that if 117 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: it was breast cancer, it wouldn't be as big a 118 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: deal to immunize everyone. But because this is, you know, 119 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: sort of seen as a consequence of sexual activity, people 120 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: are very lwery about having the whole population immunize for 121 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: it right. And cost effectiveness is another big hurdle in 122 00:06:55,640 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: this whole whole immunization debate because gardisil require yers around 123 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: the three separate shots over a period about eight months, 124 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: and each shot costs around a hundred and twenty dollars. 125 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: So these mothers with sons are wondering why they're going 126 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: to shell out almost four hundred dollars to get their 127 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: sons immunities against this cancer that they will never get 128 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: right to the risk and the costs outweigh the benefit 129 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: to the boys when the only benefit they're really getting 130 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: is uh the HPV benefit, which is not a small 131 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: potato sort of thing. I mean, they are protecting against 132 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: genital warts. But you know the big kicker with this 133 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: drag a cervical cancer. Is it worth it two boys? Right? 134 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: And I think that you have to look at the 135 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: big picture of of herd immunity if you will. That 136 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: that a New York Times article brought up um many 137 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: of the women who die from cervical cancer can't afford 138 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: regular gynecological exams to get PAP smears that will usually 139 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: catch it in its earlier stages. And in addition, cervical 140 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: cancer is most fatal to women who are living in poverty, 141 00:07:57,960 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: So chances are these same women are not going to 142 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: of the per pop to get gard asil. So by 143 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,119 Speaker 1: that logic, you would think that the more people, boys 144 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: and girls you immunize, the better it's going to be 145 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: for the entire population. Right. Basically, if an immunized man 146 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: stays with an unimunized woman, the infection still steps there 147 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: because of the immunization and people, I guess when the 148 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: whole stuff with girls was going on, I didn't really 149 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: like to point out that if the girl is going 150 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: to get HPV, it was the guy who gave it 151 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: to her. You know, it's it takes two to tango, well, 152 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: said Molly. But one thing that people are still questioning 153 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: about garden sils. Some parents are still questioning, is this 154 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: issue of safety. It's a relatively new vaccine. Vaccines don't 155 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: have the best reputation right now. People are kind of 156 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: freaked out by them, but it hasn't been on the 157 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,319 Speaker 1: market long enough to know what the long term effects 158 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: are of these. You know, twelve year old girls getting immunized, right, 159 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: and if you do any sort of internet starts, you're 160 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: gonna come up with tons of pairs saying that after 161 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: a Gardosil vaccine their daughter came down with something. And 162 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: this is where, of course, any argument about vaccines is tricky, 163 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: because you're getting into correlation versus causation, where you know, 164 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: people get a shot and then something turns up later 165 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: and they wonder is this related to the shot? But 166 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: you know there are a few conditions Mark. Of course, 167 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: Mark says it's perfectly safe. But if you do a 168 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 1: quick search, the most common things that will come up 169 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: that might be results of gardisil are seizures, paralysis, fainting um. 170 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 1: There's one girl who died from a form of Luke 171 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 1: Garrick's disease that they're trying to tie to gardossil. So 172 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,319 Speaker 1: you know, Mark is constantly evaluating it safety, as is 173 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,079 Speaker 1: the Food and Drug Administration. But when you've got these 174 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: kind of risks, then of course someone who's only going 175 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: to get the secondary benefits of this vaccine is questioning 176 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: whether they should, you know, expose themselves to that. Right, 177 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: it seems like we still have a little ways to 178 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 1: go in terms of testing for gardenssil to really call 179 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: parents fears about whether or not it actually is safe. 180 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: But when it comes to boys, it might be marketed 181 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: as this, you know, really chivalrous thing to do. You know, 182 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: this guy is getting vaccinated against cervical cancer. He's saving women. 183 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: I know, the shot throw that on a date. I mean, 184 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: it's it's pretty compelling. I mean, I don't know if 185 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: a ten year old boy is really going to buy 186 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: into that marketing so much, but hey, good work, right, So, 187 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: if you want to learn more about the cervical cancer vaccine, 188 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: I know where you can find out. I'm gonna guess 189 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: it's how stuff works dot com. Milly, You're right, Kristen, 190 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or questions, be sure 191 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: to email Christen me at mom stuff at how stuff 192 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: works dot com for more on this and thousands of 193 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: other topics. Doesn't how stuff works dot Com brought to 194 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, 195 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: are you