How to Get Gardasil

Gardasil is a vaccination for four types of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that can cause cervical cancer or genital warts. HPV types 16 and 18 cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and HPV types 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital warts cases. Gardasil is approved for women between the ages of 9 to 26, and is highly recommended for girls ages 10 and 11. However, you should not take Gardasil if you have an allergy to yeast or could be pregnant. Gardasil is currently not approved for men or women over the age of 26.

Things You'll Need

• Three Gardasil Vaccinations Health Insurance or $375 Doctor

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Instructions

How to Get Gardasil

• 1

  Find out if your health insurance will cover your Gardasil vaccination. Each Gardasil shot costs $125 per dose, or $375 for all three doses. If you are under the age of 18, you may be eligible for Gardasil at no cost under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, provided you are Medicaid eligible, have no insurance, or are of American Indian or Alaskan Native heritage.

• 2

  Schedule an appointment with your doctor to have your first shot of Gardasil. The most common side effects from the injection include irritation or swelling at the site of the shot, headache, fainting, nausea, fever, dizziness, or vomiting, though not everyone will experience these reactions.

• 3

  Return for your second shot of Gardasil. The second administration of Gardasil is two months after the initial shot, though it is okay if it is off by a few days. Your doctor can provide you with a reminder card for your second and third doses, or you can use the reminder option on the Gardasil website (www.gardasil.com).

• 4

  Have your last Gardasil vaccination. The last Gardasil dosage is given six months after the first one is administered. After this last shot, you should be well protected from the four types of HPV that Gardasil vaccinates against. According to information on the HPV vaccination that's posted on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, the effectiveness of Gardasil lasts for a long time, but more research needs to be done to determine if women will require booster shots in the future.

• 5

  Continue to have annual Pap tests and cervical cancer screenings. Having a Gardasil vaccination does not mean you no longer need to have Pap tests, as Gardasil protects you only from 70% of cervical cancers.