Central Phoenix Obstetrics & Gynecology

Human Papilloma Virus is common virus with over 150 different types.  HPV can be transmitted during sex including any naked skin contact.  Some types can lead to cancers of the cervix, anus, penis and throat and other types can lead to warts including genital warts.  Warts are simply a skin condition that is treated if it is painful or bothersome.  The most common type of cancer caused by HPV is cancer.  Fortunately, HPV usually takes a long time to cause cancer which gives us time to find and treat it before it can become cervical cancer.  The pap test is the  screening test for HPV. Because the other types of cancer caused by HPV are much less common, there are no routine screening test for them.

HPV vaccine that is a safe and effective way to preventing infection with HPV. The currently available vaccine protects against 9 types of HPV—2 that cause genital warts and 7 that cause up to 80% of cervical cancers. HPV vaccine is currently available to girls and women up to age 44  The vaccine is given in two or three doses depending on the age when vaccination is started.  You can get the vaccine even if you have been diagnosed with HPV in the past.

Fortunately, there are very few minor and temporary side effects of HPV vaccine Over 12 years of research and monitoring since FDA approval have revealed lots of information about the side effects of the HPV vaccine. 

The most common reactions after vaccination are:

Pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given
Fever
Dizziness or fainting (more common among adolescents)
Nausea
Headache or feeling tired
Muscle or joint pain

Sitting in a chair or lying down during vaccination and remain in that position for 15 minutes after the vaccine is given will help prevent fainting and injuries related to fainting. 

Before vaccination, it is important to tell the provider about any severe allergies, including an allergy to latex or yeast.

HPV vaccine has been approved by the FDA for everyone age 9-45. Getting HPV at a younger age is better because studies show young people build stronger immunity.  As a result, two doses of the vaccine are sufficient if you start before age 15.  After age 15, three doses will be given. The vaccine is safe and effective for preventing cancer of the cervix, anus, penis and oropharynx, which includes the soft palate, side and back wall of the throat, tonsils, and back one-third of the tongue.

about HPV?

–       Other questions?

Yes! There are different recommendations by age group, as listed below:

·      Children ages 9-12 should receive HPV vaccination with their routine adolescent immunizations

·      Children and young adults ages 13-26 can still receive the HPV vaccine regardless of their history of sexual activity, prior exposure to HPV, or sexual orientation if they did not receive it earlier

·      Women ages 27-45 who are previously unvaccinated should have a discussion with a provider about if the HPV vaccine is right for them, including their risk of new exposure to HPV

Even if you have already been told you have HPV, you probably had only one type of the virus. The vaccine will help prevent eight other strains of HPV that could potentially lead to cervical cancer.

HPV vaccine affects long term health in the best way.  It protects you from infection with HPV and that means a reduced risk of getting certain types of cancer.
 Studies have followed people who received HPV vaccine for about 10 years, and protection from HPV has remained high in those individuals. There has been no evidence of the protection decreasing over time.

Some people are worried that the vaccine can affect fertility in the future. There is no evidence from clinical trials or over 12 years of experience that the HPV vaccine causes fertility problems.  However, getting HPV can lead to pre-cancer, cancer or lead to treatments that can affect fertility in women.

HPV vaccine does NOT cause HPV infection or cancer. HPV vaccine is made from one protein not the entire virus and is not infectious, meaning that it cannot cause HPV infection or cancer.

When your body sees this protein, it recognizes it as foreign and creates antibodies that will destroy it.  If in the future, your body encounters that protein as a part of the HPV virus, those antibodies will destroy the virus before it can cause an infection.

There is a lot of information on this web page but if you still have questions you can check out some of the sources below. 

• Food and Drug Administration
• Center for Disease Control
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• HPV Vaccine Safety
• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System