<p>" You can also get HPV outside of sexual contact. "</p>
<p>Are we talking AIDS-style here where you can “get it outside of sexual contact” if you shoot up heroin with an infected needle?</p>
<p>^No. You can get it just through contact.</p>
<p>HPV symptoms can also take several weeks or months to appear. A male friend of mine mine dated a girl monogamously, broke it off, a few weeks later started seeing a female friend of mine, and the female friend was infected before the FIRST girl even knew she had it. She did everything right so far as she knew, used condoms, they were monogamous, but her boyfriend’s ex had contracted it before she got with him and there were no visible signs while they were together. My friend only found out when she did because she happened to be up for her annual exam and had an abnormal pap.</p>
<p>Christ, I’m getting that vaccine then.</p>
<p>At least we don’t get affected by it, we’re just carriers right? Still I’d rather not be a carrier.</p>
<p>As far as I know, men are often completely asymptomatic for HPV, though males can have warts develop on their genitals. </p>
<p>A friend of mine was also exposed during a long-term relationship. She was with him for, geez, a year I think? He was completely asymptomatic and she had no idea until she had an exam and they found obvious warts on her cervix. In her case, they had to be removed and biopsied because the doctors were very concerned that they might be cancerous. Thankfully, she was okay, but she still has to worry about this for the rest of her life. Needless to say she’s not happy about it. She unfortunately was sexually active before the vaccine came on the scene so it was too late for her.</p>
<p>I got the vaccine last year no big deal. Its 3 different shots given over a period of time. A common side effect that I did have was numbness at the injection site. A not so common side effect I did have was Insominia for about 2 weeks when I recieved the first shot.</p>
<p>I hope many, many men receive the HPV vaccine. Men are almost always asymptomatic carriers and are rarely tested for HPV. A single man can give HPV to a few or even dozens of women without even realizing what harm he is doing. For a woman, HPV can be deadly. The side effects of HPV are rare in theory, but in reality as many 50% of sexually active people will contract HPV at some point or another. A 1% rate of cancer is “low” but not across huge numbers like that. Condoms can’t do everything.</p>
<p>Well when I see my physician for my yearly checkup I’ll bring it up with him.</p>
<p>It’s unfortunately very expensive and many insurance companies don’t cover it once you turn 18. My mom wouldn’t let me have it before I turned 18 and then decided she would support it after all ONCE INSURANCE STOPPED COVERING IT. But I don’t really want it anyway, and my gyn said I’d probably be fine if I keep doing what I am doing. Never miss a pap, boyfriend and I both go in for yearly STD tests-- and got them anyway when we first got together, we are as monogamous as anyone can hope to be, and we always use condoms. I am not totally protected but that is the best I can do.</p>
<p>Ah the good ol’ American health care system.</p>
<p>I wish the idiots in charge of the insurance companies would realize it’s a lot cheaper to pay for someone’s shots than to pay for their cancer treatments. Especially since now they can’t decide to cut you loose if you become ‘too expensive.’</p>
<p>I wonder if the Gardasil price has gone up since I got mine? I believe I was 13 or so, which puts it at five years ago. It was $312 for the series of shots, but that was when the vaccine was very new, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it had shot up since then. I agree with DCHurricane - Gardasil might be expensive, but cancer is way more expensive. I am lucky enough to have great insurance (on the flip side, my mom’s job pays below the poverty line), so I didn’t have to pay.</p>
<p>Is there any reason for me to get this vaccine given that I am not sexually active?</p>
<p>^^^
Yes…You don’t KNOW when you will become sexually active.</p>
<p>You never know when you will be, I guess that’d be the logic.</p>
<p>edit: Beat me to it.</p>
<p>I mean, I don’t play with rusty nails but I still get tetanus shots just in case I step on one.</p>
<p>So no, because my religion prohibits premarital sexual intercourse and I wouldn’t believe in something I wouldn’t follow.</p>
<p>You can get HPV from contact outside of a sexual experience, though. If you love your future wife (husband), it is beneficial (especially if you have insurance).</p>
<p>^This was more what I was asking. What are the primary means of transmission?</p>
<p>HPV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact. Other forms of transmission are rare, but plausible. If you really feel that you won’t come in contact with HPV, you need not get vaccinated, but since the consequences of getting the vaccine are almost 100% beneficial, there’s no reason not to lest the out of pocket be too expensive.</p>
<p>[HPV</a> Transmission Facts](<a href=“http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hpv-transmission-facts.html]HPV”>http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hpv-transmission-facts.html)</p>
<p>"I wonder if the Gardasil price has gone up since I got mine? I believe I was 13 or so, which puts it at five years ago. It was $312 for the series of shots, but that was when the vaccine was very new, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it had shot up since then. I agree with DCHurricane - Gardasil might be expensive, but cancer is way more expensive. I am lucky enough to have great insurance (on the flip side, my mom’s job pays below the poverty line), so I didn’t have to pay. "</p>
<p>That sounds about like what I remember the price being. Unfortunately my choices are Gardasil or groceries for the next two months. Welcome to the real world.</p>
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<p>Considering my electricity is getting cut off next week (as well as my internet, if you’re curious), I think I’m firmly planted in the real world.</p>
<p>Well, you implied that it was not rational to choose not to get Gardasil for financial reasons given that cancer is more expensive, which was pretty silly and I thought I’d point it out.</p>