Lifestyles Ideas Management - What should women know about ...

HPV Vaccine Plus Screening:
What Women Should Know

THE FUTURE OF CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION
With the introduction of the first HPV vaccine, the dream of eliminating cervical cancer is increasingly within reach. Cervical cancer is the only type of cancer for which there is one, specific cause – certain, “high-risk” types of HPV, or human papillomavirus. HPV is a very common, sexually transmitted virus that normally doesn’t cause any problems. But in some women, the infection stays active long enough to cause abnormal cells to form, which can then develop into cervical cancer. With the HPV test, women at high risk can be identified and monitored carefully. And now, the new vaccine (called Gardasil®) allows many HPV infections to be prevented from occurring in the first place.

However, even with the vaccine, women still need a regular Pap and – depending on their age – the HPV test. That’s because:

o The vaccine cannot protect everyone. To be fully effective, the vaccine should be given before a woman’s first sexual experience – in other words, before she may be exposed to HPV. Thus, the ideal time to get the vaccine is during adolescence. That means that for the vast majority of women today, and for many in the future, regular screening is their first and primary weapon against cervical cancer.

o The protection offered by the vaccine is incomplete. There are roughly 13 types of the HPV virus that can cause cervical cancer. The vaccine is designed to target just two “high-risk” types of the virus, which are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers. However, that means it cannot protect women against the remaining 30 percent of cervical cancers that are caused by other “high-risk” types of HPV.

o There are a lot of unknowns. For example, it is not known whether a “booster” vaccine shot will be needed later in life to ensure continued protection.


Thus, both vaccination and screening are essential tools in the fight against cervical cancer. These general recommendations are emerging from the experts:

CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION GUIDELINES*

Adolescent girls
Individuals most likely to benefit from the HPV vaccine are young girls/adolescents who have not yet had their first sexual experience. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the vaccine for use in girls age 9 to 26, and the American Cancer Society recommends it for routine use in girls age 11 to 12.

Women younger than 30 years
Women should start getting an annual Pap test about three years after they have sexual intercourse for the first time, or by age 21 -- whichever comes first. If the lab cannot be sure whether a woman’s Pap result is normal or abnormal, an HPV test also is recommended.

In addition, some women may choose to get the HPV vaccine. However, the benefit has not been proven in women who are sexually active, since they may already have been exposed to the two types of “high-risk” HPV the vaccines protect against.

Women age 30 or older
This is the age group most at risk of developing cervical cancer. Thus, screening with both the Pap and the HPV test offers extra peace of mind. If the results of both the HPV and Pap test are normal, the HPV test only needs to be repeated once every three years. That’s because the risk of missing a woman at risk when both tests are normal is just one in a thousand.

A note about men: Males get HPV too and can pass the virus to women. However, there is currently no approved HPV test for men. There also are currently no data demonstrating that an HPV vaccine can protect boys or men from HPV-related health problems (such as cancer of the penis, which is rare), or that it can prevent transmission of the virus to women.