Gardasil has been rampant among young women wanting to protect themselves against STDs. The television commercials chanting “one less, one less” have already been embedded into everyone’s brains causing women to line up at their doctors’ doors to receive the vaccine. The commercials have aired on stations with broad teenaged audiences because Gardasil can only be administered to women ages 9-26.

Gardasil is a series of three shots administered over the span of six months and is said to prevent certain types of HPV that causes cervical cancer. Although the FDA approved Gardasil in 2006, there has been a lot of speculation about its preventative powers. Much to my Gardasil-vaccinated dismay; there have recently been reports of physicians strongly advising against receiving the vaccination.

The LA Times has reported on the issue and found that studies on the vaccine have not concluded that Gardasil actually prevents HPV. Since the FDA’s approval only two years ago, there have been more than 7,800 complaints including spontaneous abortion and paralysis.

Most of these complaints were made shortly after the vaccine so for those who have been injected for some time are out of the woods . . . for now. Unfortunately because the vaccine is relatively new, there has not been any investigation in long-term side effects.

So ladies, hold your breath and pray that the vaccine won’t induce any strange side effects later on in life.