Hi, my name is Kyle. I am a 15 year old student at Roosevelt High, beginning my sophomore year. I am not much of a blogger-- honestly I am not even much of a writer. However, I felt this might be the best way to express myself and recount my journey.
My journey is not physical, rather educational. It entails a set of two, interconnected questions: Should I get Gardasil’s HPV vaccine? And what happens to those who don’t, like my brother?
This blog’s purpose is to answer those questions.
What triggered this journey was a typical physical. My pediatrician was examining my vaccination record. It is flawless. My mother is on top of everything. She knows which vaccination is up next before the physician and nurses even open their mouths. My mother may not be a doctor, but her role as a “concerned” parent has made her particularly active in her children’s health.
This is why I was shocked that when my pediatrician offered me the HPV vaccine, my mother shot it down instantly and would not hear more about the matter.
“Boys don’t need it” she said. And there was no changing her mind, even though my own brother, who had also not been vaccinated, had been infected with HPV while in college.
These two events clashed in my mind, so I decided to do my own research, on all things HPV.