Filed under: Health and Safety, High school, College, Teenager, Making a Difference
Teenage girls aren't generally known for downplaying their emotions or being stoic about pain. However, the new HPV (cervical cancer) vaccine is reported to really hurt like a mofo.
"This vaccine stings a lot," said Patsy Stinchfield, an infectious disease expert at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, speaking at a recent meeting of vaccination experts in Atlanta.
U.S. health official have also noted a rise in vaccine-related fainting among teenage girls. From 2002-2004 there were about 50 reports of fainting; from 2005 until last July, there were about 230. About 180 of those cases followed a shot of the HPV vaccine, which came on the market in 2006.
However, it's hard to say if the increase is due to the pain of this particular medication has anything to do with the passing out, as teens as a group have a higher tendency to faint from needles anyway. Researchers aren't sure why, but nervousness may be a factor.
So forewarned is forearmed: your teen is not just being a drama queen about the HPV injection and she really should be treated with new shoes for her bravery!
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