HPV Vaccine – Who Should Get It?

It is extremely important that individuals who are sexually active learn what they can to protect themselves against diseases, such as the HPV virus. This virus affects a huge portion of the U.S. population; an estimated 50%. Along with this 50%, it is estimated that 80% of females will come in contact with this virus before they are fifty years old. The HPV vaccine was developed to prevent the exposure of the HPV virus in young women, with the hope of lowering the number of individuals who get the disease.

The vaccine for HPV is called Gardasil, and is marketed by Merck. It has been found to be nearly one hundred percent effective in preventing the four strains of HPV that, when put together, account for seventy percent of the cases of cervical cancer and ninety percent of the cases of genital warts. It is administered in three doses over a six-month period. The vaccine is most effective if it is given before females become sexually active. It is currently recommended that girls be vaccinated at about the ages of eleven or twelve. The vaccine can be safely administered to girls as young as nine, and women as old as twenty-six years of age. Investigations are currently being done to find out if the vaccine is safe and effective to administer to boys and young men.

While the HPV vaccine is an extreme benefit for those that want to prevent the HPV virus, it should not be used by women during pregnancy. If you are trying to get pregnant, then have a pregnancy test administered before you start the treatment and then hold off on attempting to become pregnant until after all of the vaccinations have been taken. If, however, you find out that you are pregnant during the course of taking the vaccine treatments, then stop until after the baby is born.

There are many different strains of the Human Papilloma Virus and the HPV vaccine does not protect individuals against all of them. However, it can help reduce the risk that a female has of contracting the disease. It is important to not that if you are sexually active, the use of a condom will not completely protect you against the virus. This is because the HPV virus is spread by contact with the skin. Condoms do not cover all of the areas that could be infected. Before a young girl or woman becomes sexually active, they should consider taking the vaccine.

More information on Human Papilloma Virus:

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