Cervical cancer prevention

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Knowledge is power. We can make better healthcare decisions for ourselves and our family members if we understand the risks and benefits.

More than 14,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year, but this number could be significantly decreased with the HPV vaccine.

Read on to learn why this vaccine helps prevent more than just cervical cancer.

How can a vaccine prevent cancer?

Cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus and throat are often caused by Human Papilloma Virus, otherwise known as HPV. Historically 85% of people will get an HPV infection in their lifetime.

HPV can cause warts, but not everyone with HPV gets a wart. Sometimes they don’t have any symptoms when first infected.

HPV is a group of many related viruses.

Common warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is quite common and has more than 150 types, but only a few cause warts on your hands, feet, or other body parts. These are not the same types that cause the cancers discussed in the rest of this post.

Sexually transmitted HPV types fall into two groups, low risk and high risk.

• Low-risk HPVs are often asymptomatic and do not lead to complications. A few low-risk HPV types can cause warts on or around the genitals, anus, mouth, or throat.

• High-risk HPVs cause 3% of all cancers in women and 2% of all cancers in men in the US. There are about 14 high-risk HPV types. Two of these, HPV16 and HPV18, are responsible for most HPV-related cancers.

The vaccine protects against the types that cause the most problems.

Gardasil 9® is the vaccine currently used in the US. It protects against infection from nine HPV types:

• two low-risk HPV types that cause most genital warts

• seven high-risk HPV types that cause most HPV-related cancers

There are some studies showing that when people have hard-to-treat common warts, vaccination may help treatments. This was not expected, since the types of HPV that cause common warts, genital warts, and cancers are different. It is thought that the vaccine stimulates the immune system so the body can fight off the infection of the non-covered HPV types, but this needs further study.

How is HPV spread?

People most commonly get the types of HPV that cause cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, penis, and throat from sexual contact. This can include oral, vaginal, and anal sex.

Nearly all sexually active people are infected with HPV within months to a few years of becoming sexually active. Around half of these infections are with a high-risk HPV type.

Most people infected with HPV don't know they have it because they don't notice any signs or problems. This means that people with HPV can pass the infection to others without knowing it.

HPV does not require intercourse to spread from person to person.

Having close contact with someone with the HPV virus or touching something recently handled with bodily fluids from an HPV-infected person can spread the HPV virus.

Non-sexual HPV transmission happens most commonly through skin-to-skin or skin-to-mucosa (the moist tissue of the mouth).

How common is HPV?

About 13 million teens and adults in the US become infected with HPV each year.

Most HPV infections will self resolve, but some will become develop cancer months to years later.

Every year in the US nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with a precancer and another 11,000 are diagnosed with cervical cancer from HPV. Over 4,000 women die in the US each year from cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer used to be the leading cause of cancer death in women, but the HPV vaccine and routine cervical cancer screening have decreased the number of cases and deaths. Since HPV vaccination was started in the US in 2006, infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 88% among teen girls. Fewer women are developing cervical precancers.

Everyone with a cervix should start regular cancer screening at 21 years of age, regardless of their vaccine status or history of sexual activity. This can further decrease risk by early detection.

Not all HPV related cancers are in women.

More than 4 out of every 10 cases of cancer caused by HPV occur among men. Every year in the U.S., over 14,000 men get cancers caused by HPV.

Unfortunately we do not yet have routine screening to recognize these cancers early.

Both boys and girls need the HPV vaccine.

HPV vaccination can prevent over 90% of cancers caused by HPV, as well as anal, vaginal, cervical, and vulvar precancers (abnormal cells that can lead to cancer).

The HPV vaccine is approved for use from 9 to 45 years of age. It is a 2-dose series over a 6-12 month period from 9 through 14 years. It is a 3-dose series over 6 months if started on or after the 15th birthday or in younger immune compromised children. If you are under 26 years and haven’t gotten the vaccine, it is recommended for you. Only certain high risk groups over 26 years

The vaccine is commonly recommended to start at 11 years because other vaccines are recommended at that age. It works best when given to 9-14 year olds. An additional dose is required if given after the 15th birthday due to the decreased efficacy at that time.

Ideally vaccination is completed before any exposure to HPV occurs so that your child’s immune system will be prepared to control the infection and prevent cancer.

HPV vaccination is very safe.

Over 135 million doses of HPV vaccine has been given in the US during the past 15 years. Post-marketing monitoring continues to show that it is very safe and effective.

HPV vaccines cannot cause HPV infections or cancer.

HPV vaccines are made from one piece of the virus. It is not possible for them to cause an infection.

HPV vaccine does not cause fertility problems.

The vaccine is not going to cause any fertility problems.

HPV infections can lead to limited ability to have children. Problems with the cervix after treatment for precancer can cause preterm delivery. Cancer treatments include hysterectomy, chemotherapy, and/or radiation.

HPV vaccination does not encourage teens to have sex.

This has been studied and it is not a risk of the vaccine.

The HPV vaccine does not protect against all strains of HPV or other sexually transmitted infections. Condoms and dental dams are still recommended to protect against a variety of infections during sex, but can't completely prevent infections.

Talk to your kids about healthy sexual relationships, consent, and risks of sexual activity so that they can make healthy decisions. Start conversations young - here’s an age by age resource.

HPV is not just a problem for promiscuous people.

As mentioned above, most people will acquire an infection with HPV within a short time of becoming sexually active.

HPV infections can persist for up to 10 to 15 years. It is possible for a person to have been infected with HPV years earlier and then share it with a current partner in a monogamous relationship.

Yes, there are side effects to vaccination.

Like any vaccine or medicine, HPV vaccines can have side effects. The most common side effects are mild and include:

• Pain, redness, or swelling where the shot was given

• Dizziness or fainting (this is common in adolescents with all vaccines and blood draws and is the reason it is often recommended that they sit or lay for 15 minutes after the needle)

• Nausea

• Headache

The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risk of side effects.

Talk to your doctor today to see if you should get vaccinated or if you should vaccinate your child.