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Please know that our general columns cannot take the place of a visit to a qualified professional who can determine your exact situation and needs.
Archived Questions and Answers from
Debra L. Hill-Busselle, MD
On Women's Health Issues
Questions & Answers
Question
Should my daughter get the new HPV vaccine?
Answer
Yes. Cervical cancer and precancerous changes of the cervix are both caused by the human papilloma virus known as HPV. There are over 100 types of HPV viruses that can cause common warts, plantar’s warts, and genital warts. Genital HPV infection occurs in more than one million Americans each year (some estimate as many as 5.5 million new cases annually). Approximately 75% of men and women in the United States between ages 15-50 may be affected. Two of these HPV types are most strongly associated with cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile and scrotal cancer. In fact, the National Toxicology Program declared HPV an official carcinogen (meaning just as dangerous as asbestos) in 2005.
Studies of college-aged women who were or became sexually active found the incidence of new HPV infections to be between 32% and 43%. Most HPV infections (up to 90%) will clear within two years of initial infection. However, in the 10% of patients in whom the virus persists, precancerous changes and cervical cancer are more likely to develop.
The FDA approved the vaccine Gardasil® in June 2006 as protection against four types of HPV that can cause warts and cancers of the anus and genitals, most cervical cancers, and both high and low grade precancerous changes. Another vaccine that protects against two of these HPV types is currently being studied. After the first Gardasil vaccination, girls receive a second one after two months and a third after four more months. Studies showed the vaccine series was 89% effective in preventing persistent infection and 100% effective in preventing clinical disease associated with the four HPV types.
The Centers for Disease Control and American Committee for Immunization Practices currently recommend that all girls 11 and 12 years of age be vaccinated against HPV. Other medical groups that support this recommendation include the American Cancer Society, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, and American Academy of Pediatricians. To ‘catch up’ for all the young women who missed the 11-to-12-year window, the vaccine is currently approved and recommended by the FDA for young women from 9 to 26 years of age.
It is important to vaccinate young girls because the immune response to the vaccine is much greater in 9-to-14 year olds than in women over age 26. Studies are under way to try to discover “How long will protection last? Will a booster shot be required in the future? And should boys also be immunized?”
Some parental objections include, “My daughter is not sexually active, so why does she need a vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus? My daughter will not have multiple partners. And this gives my daughter permission to have sex.” These excuses simply do not make sense to me!
Remember that almost everyone (over 75% of sexually active adults) will become infected with the HPV virus! Even if your daughter does not have sex until she is married, can you promise her that her husband will be a virgin who is not already infected with HPV?
The HPV vaccine helps protect your daughter against CERVICAL CANCER and PRECANCEROUS CERVICAL changes! What parent wouldn’t choose to protect their daughter from cancer?
Be smart. Protect your daughter. My 16-year-old daughter has already been vaccinated.
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