Through the Looking Glass: Don’t give a shot about the pain
Being cancer-free is worth the Gardasil vaccine
When I was a child the only joy I remember getting from surviving a mandatory shot at the doctor’s office was the promise of a lollipop, sticker with a smiley face on it or—if I was lucky—sneaking one of each. I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older shots no longer have rewards after receiving them such as a plastic toy or piece of candy, rather there are consequences for neglecting to get them.
The days of arbitrary material goods rewarded after being stuck with a needle to prevent illness like the chickenpox or the flu are long gone as the act of getting more adult shots (which result in the prevention of deadly viruses and now cancer) is now the reward we look forward to once the Band-aid is placed on our arms. Worse yet the needles don’t get any smaller as we get bigger.
The Gardasil vaccine, a series of three shots injected into the arm muscle of the female patient over the course of six months (now available for patients ages 9 to 26), protects young women from HPV (Human Papillomavirus) a virus which can result in cervical cancer.
The Gardasil shot not only protects young women from certain forms of the virus but also from various kinds of genital warts which can be transmitted through sexual activity.
This groundbreaking immunization which is saving the lives of many young women is also one of the most painful shots that I have ever experienced. Many young ladies can attest to this as the number of women receiving the shot has skyrocketed between 2005 and 2007, along with the number of patients who are fainting and expressing severe pain in the location where the shot is injected.
When I first went to my gynecologist this past August to get the vaccine, the nurse warned me of one notable drawback of the shot: It burns. I was sure she was exaggerating and was merely preparing me for the worse case scenario which other patients had experienced—I was wrong.
For all of the ladies who have not received the shot and males who fortunately do not have endure this, let me just say it’s an experience best done while sitting down, facing a surface that is soft and cushy that can brace you for a possible fall. The pain is caused due to the virus-like particle the shot injects into the skin along with the larger than normal needle used to administer the vaccine.
This poor reputation the Gardasil vaccine has, albeit, painful and causing much discomfort, will hopefully not deter young women to receive the shots. Ironically as the vaccine gains a painful connotation, more college campus are making the Gardasil series available to students along with health insurance companies providing more financial aid for the vaccine.
I must admit that my second shot hurt just as much as my first one. However, cervical cancer is certainly a much more painful and possibility fatal experience that too many women and families understand.
It’s unfortunate to live in a world where we have to worry about vaccinating young girls who barely understand what sex—or cancer is for that matter, however, it’s fortunate that we have the means to prevent potential suffering. No matter how many young women are complaining about the warm, fiery sensation the vaccine gives, I have to say it’s worth the burn.
Sarah Delia is a junior English and art history major.
