The Gynecologist

HPV Vaccination – Protection for you and your daughters

May 24, 2013 at 7:55 pm 1 comment

What if there was a vaccine that offered you protection against the second most common and fifth deadliest cancer in the world.  

Would you take the vaccine? 

Would you give it to your daughter? 

 These aren’t rhetorical questions.  Because that vaccine exists.  Its  was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 and is intended to prevent cervical cancer. 

The human papilloma virus (HPV) can be linked to the development of almost all cases of cervical cancer.  Although there are over 60 different types of the HPV virus, approximately 70% of all cases of cervical cancer can be linked to only two specific, high-risk types.  These HPV types are known as HPV type 16 and 18.    So, vaccines preventing high-risk HPV can significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer in women receiving the vaccine.

The first vaccine against HPV, Gardasil, was developed to target types 16 and 18.  It also targets HPV types 6 and 11, which are linked to the development of genital warts (but not cervical cancer).  It was approved in 2006 for girls and women ages 9 to 26.   Gardasil is also approved for use in boys and young men aged 9 to 26, but that’s beyond the scope of this post.

Another HPV vaccine was approved in 209. This vaccine, Cervarix, is designed to prevent infection from HPV types 16 and 18, and offers some protection against HPV types 45 and 31.  Cervarix also contains an ingredient believed to boost immune system response to the vaccine.  It is given to girls and women ages 10-25.

Both vaccines are most effective at preventing HPV disease when given before a young woman becomes sexually active.  That’s because vaccines are designed to prevent infection, but don’t treat infection once it has occurred.  Both vaccines are given as a series of 3 injections over a course of 6 months.

Some people ask whether the HPV vaccine can be given to women who are already sexually active.  Yes!  It can even be given to women who have already been diagnosed with an HPV-related condition (such as an abnormal pap smear or genital warts).  While an individual who has been diagnosed with an HPV-related condition has probably been exposed to at least one strain of the HPV virus, that doesn’t mean she’s been exposed to all of them.  So the vaccine may protect against one or more strains of the HPV virus to which she is currently vulnerable.

Studies have shown that both Gardasil and Cervarix prevent nearly 100 percent of the precancerous cervical cell changes caused by the types of HPV targeted by the vaccine for up to 4 years after vaccination among women who were not infected at the time of vaccination. 

That’s some pretty dramatic stuff.  And If I’m gonna make a statement like that, I’m gonna cite a source (“Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines”. National Cancer Institute (NCI). 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2009-11-11.). 

Most health insurance companies cover one or both HPV vaccines for women and girls within the recommended age range (9-26 for Gardasil, 10-25 for Cervarix).  Some health care providers will administer the vaccine to women over the age of 26, but that can be discussed with the individual provider and won’t be discussed here.  Women without insurance, or those whose insurance doesn’t cover the vaccine, can pay for it out of pocket, but the cost is often prohibitive.  A doctor’s office or clinic can give an estimate of cost.

The Vaccine Information Statement for Gardasil gives a tremendous amount of useful information.

So does this HPV Vaccine FAQ sheet from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

For more information and individual advice, speak to your healthcare provider.

Entry filed under: Gynecology. Tags: cervarix, cervical cancer, cervix, gardasil, HPV, hpv vaccine, human papillomavirus.