First Shot

Studies show that cervical cancer is closely linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. I am glad that cervical cancer awareness is dramatically increasing. With local celebrities joining hands with the medical community, women now know that cervical cancer can be prevented by HPV vaccination.

I was setting aside getting a vaccine for the longest time. But my mom convinced me that I should do it before getting married. I finally found the time to go back to my OB/GYN to get the vaccine. After more than four hours of waiting, she explained to me that there are currently two vaccines available in the market. The cheaper one protects against two HPV types. She said that she is recommending this to older patients since it gives more protection against cervical cancer. She told me that if money is not an issue, I’d rather get the more expensive one since it gives protection against 2 other HPV types which cause genital warts.

I didn’t see how long the syringe was. She just told me that it would really hurt. I told her I'm fine with that because I’m pretty sure that undergoing chemotherapy is more painful. She advised that my arm may feel a little heavier and that I may not be able to do certain activities like badminton and bowling. I was told to come back on March for my second shot and then on July for the last.

Other than getting my first shot, I was really curious if the vaccine really comes with that cute pink adhesive bandage or if it’s just for advertisement purposes.


I now took the first step. So I am now encouraging all my female readers to take the same step. Or if you know someone who needs to do the same, let them know. As Pia Magalona asked, “If you could stop cancer from touching your family, wouldn’t you?”