Aside from some very minor physiological changes, her body remains very clearly that of a child. I suspect puberty is still a while in coming and for that I am grateful.
Because of the cutoff date and her premature birth, Sarah is in grade 6. Some of her friends have breasts. Some of her friends have started menstruating. Some of her friends are as tall (and *gasp* taller than me). We don't have junior high here in Ontario so it's hard for me to really focus on the fact that she's on the cusp of not really being a kid anymore.
And as such, there's a decision that I must make and make soon. The HPV vaccine.
I'll start by saying that I am pro-vaccine. My kids have gotten vaccinated without incident for everything for which there is a vaccine available. Given our lack of religious faith, I also have no objections to my daughters having sexual intercourse before marriage though I do hope that they both wait until they are both mentally and physically mature enough to deal with the repercussions.
So it's pretty much a given that Sarah'll be getting the vaccine this year. Had I thought to ask for it last year, she'd already be vaccinated. I'm less than thrilled to read that the vaccine is composed of 3 separate injections given over a period of a few months (I'm sure Sarah will be even less thrilled than I about that), but the fact remains, I will make this decision for her.
It does however raise and interesting point that I hadn't considered before. That there will soon come a time when my making decisions for her will stop. I'm hoping that by then, she'll be old enough and wise enough to realize that sometimes a little pain now is worth preventing a possible life threatening situation later.
** I just did more research online and discovered that the vaccine is offered at school to all grade 8 girls. I know by the time I was in grade 8 at least 2 of my classmates were already sexually active. Hmmm.. more decisions to make it seems.**
5 comments:
It was a choice I made for Rebecca as well and while I've heard horror stories from those who've chosen not to vaccinate (like any other vaccine really), I am glad I did.
As for the age of sexual activity, it seems to get younger and younger as the time goes by. I am thankful that we have yet to deal with that although I'm guessing it will be on the horizon sooner rather than later....
There are a few very interesting studies out there talking about pre-mature puberty (like getting your period around age 11). I was one of the "got it early" girls (though I'm 31 and STILL sleep with a teddy bear I've had since I was 5 when My Sailor isn't home). Personally, I think the vaccines are a great idea. MANY people have HPV or are carriers and don't even know it. MUCH safer the protect against it. Gardisil is my choice out of the two, as it protects against the less severe yet very annoying genital warts as well. Since HPV is so hard to test for (there is only 1 test - a pap smear - for the high risk type, the low risk type there is NO test for, so you can be a carrier and not know it as not everyone shows symptoms).
I like the way you approach the sex thing with your kids. If they are ready for the WORST possible case scenerio, but have the knowledge to create the BEST CASE scenerio, then it looks like a good recipe for succes..
I let my girls decide as they were older when it came around. We talked about sex and what it prevented and they decided they didn't want it. I was ok with that as I know my girls, probably too well! It's suggested for boys now, but with Zachary's fears, he will only get the vaccines I think are important for him.
Yeah, our babies are getting older, so hard to believe how many years have flown by. :) Amanda took her Pooh Bear to college. :)
C got the vaccine in Grade 5 (offered free thru the school for that year). The only wrinkle was that the 2nd injection was too close to the H1N1 shot I had her get the day before, so we had to reschedule it during the Xmas break. I'm also glad she got it done, as it is $$$ to pay for it on your own times the 3 injections required. The alternative result of not getting the injections is far worse than fearing a sore arm the next day.
Shauna (murgatr)
Pharm.Tech. RDC'06
dd 11/22/98
dd/6/27/02
It's amazing how quickly these girls go from little girls to budding young women. Lexi was still very much a child at 11 as well. The poor girl blossomed over the course of 1 summer. This past summer to be exact. At 13 she looks like a young woman. She also has her period now which of course scares me half to death. I made the choice for her to have the HPV vaccine when she was 11. Had I given her the choice she would have said no. After the first shot she would never have gone back. It was extremely painful for her. I had to physically restrain her to get the second and third injections. I don't regret it for one second.
Honestly, I don't think an 11 year old is capable of making those decisions for themselves. No matter how mature they are they are still children. As mothers it is our responsibility to make these choices until they are able to make a knowledgeable decision on their own.
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