Reproductive Health Care

The New HPV Vaccine

HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer. REMEMBER, HPV CAN BE SPREAD DURING ANY FORM OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH GENITAL CONTACT - NOT JUST SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.

The American Cancer Society estimates that this year, cervical cancer will be diagnosed in approximately 10,000 women nationwide, and that over 3,500 of these women will die.

This vaccine can save lives.

What is this new vaccine?
Currently, the only HPV vaccine available is called Gardasil.

In technical terms, it protects you against SILs (squamous intraepithelial lesions), which are pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix. Specifically, the vaccine prevents diseases caused by HPV types 16 and 18, which are associated with about 70 percent of cervical cancers, and types 6 and 11, which are associated with genital warts.

The vaccine is given as three separate injections over a six-month period. You must complete the entire series of shots. It's believed that immunity is achieved one month after the last shot and that it remains effective for at least five years. We do not know yet if booster shots are needed. Studies are still being done to follow women who have received the vaccine to see how long their immunity lasts.

What about guys?
Good question.

Although males cannot, of course, get cervical cancer, they can transmit the HPV infection to women, who could get cervical cancer. And, males do get, and transmit, genital warts.

We do not yet know if the vaccine is effective in males. Studies are now being done to find out if the vaccine works to prevent HPV infection and disease in males. When more information is available, this vaccine may be licensed and recommended for males as well.

Why should my daughter get this vaccine before she even has sex?
This vaccine is not a green light for sex now.

It is a red light to stop cancer in your daughter's future.

This vaccine does not protect against pregnancy or other STIs. This is a cancer vaccine for PRE-exposure to the HPV types that most frequently lead to cervical cancer – a killer of thousands of women here in the U.S. every year.

We encourage you to begin your daughter's reproductive health care before she is sexually active. This is a wonderful time to talk frankly about issues of puberty and growing up female.

Our When You're Ready Program is perfect for young teens and Moms who care.

This is an opportunity to open the door for greater communication, accurate education and re-affirmation of strong self-esteem and these are the most important elements for your daughter to make good decisions about her body, no matter the pressure or wild myths she hears out there.

We all know responsible parenting through childhood vaccinations has improved both the length and quality of our children's lives for almost half a century. This is one more protection you can offer your child. The first reproductive health visit is an ideal time to discuss the benefits of the vaccine and to offer it as a protective vaccination against cancer.

Should I get the vaccine?
Yes, if you are between 11 and 26.

If you receive the vaccine before becoming sexually active, the vaccine offers the most protection. If you have had even 1 sexual partner, you may have already been exposed to HPV.

A national survey done in 2002 found that 26 percent of young women in the U.S. had vaginal sex by the age of 15; that number rose to 77 percent by age 19.

HPV is extremely infectious. And, you may not know you have it. Your partner may not know they have transmitted it to you. Once sexual activity has begun, the likelihood of HPV is 40 percent within two years and more than 50 percent within four years!

While the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the vaccine for girls and women ages 9 to 26, the Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that girls routinely receive the vaccine between the ages of 11 and 12.

Please know: 26 is the highest recommended age because the vaccine was tested in women up to that age, and the vaccine's current approval must match the ages that were tested.

What if I have been sexually active for a while?
If you are under age 26, the vaccine may still offer cancer protection.

Even if you have been exposed to HPV, research shows that you may not have been exposed to all four (4) types “covered” by the vaccine. So even if you've been exposed to and infected with one, two, or even three types of HPV, you can benefit from the vaccine. You don't need a new Pap smear (if you have been having it done regularly) in order to get the vaccine.

Even if you've had an abnormal Pap test in the past, tested positive for HPV, or had genital warts the vaccine is recommended because, again, chances are that you've not had all four types of HPV that are targeted by this vaccine.

So, if I get the vaccine, do I still have to have Annual Exams and Pap Smears?
ABSOLUTELY!

There are over 30 types of HPV that are transmitted by sexual contact of any kind. This vaccine protects against four very important types, but it doesn't protect against all of them. Thirty percent of cervical cancers are still due to these other viruses.

Plus, your annual exam, including your breast exam and Pap smear, screens for many other health problems. Have your exam every year! Some of us do it during our birthday month – what better life-gift to give yourself!

How much does it cost?
Call us to check on the cost. Your insurance company may well pay for the vaccine, since it has been recommended for universal immunization of females in the age group listed above.

Help is available.
If you do not have insurance coverage and/or you're unable to afford the vaccine, Merck, the pharmaceutical company that has developed and produced Garadasil, has a Patient Assistance Program that may help you get the immunization. We have the information and applications here in our Northland offices. It only takes about 20 minutes to find out if you are eligible. Please come in.

Want to read more about the HPV vaccine?

Go to: Information about GARDASIL

Now that there is an immunization against
the most common cause of cervical cancer, protect yourself!
And, like the ad says, TELL SOMEONE.

Read more about the HPV at Tell Someone about cervical cancer and the other consequences of HPV

Call us. We welcome the opportunity to have a conversation with you about your reproductive health.

Or come by the Northland Center closest to you.

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we make the world a better place for women!

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Last page update: 9/07