HPV Info

Experts call HPV vaccine safe, effective
Q&A HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS
By JAN JARVIS
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Texas parents, lawmakers and health professionals are debating whether young girls should be required to be vaccinated for cervical cancer.
Here are some common questions about the vaccine and answers from experts in the field.
Question: How effective is the vaccine?
Answer: The vaccine is almost 100 percent effective in protecting against four human papillomavirus types, which cause 70 percent of cases of cervical cancer and 90 percent of cases of genital warts.
Q: Why is it recommended for females ages 11 to 26?
A: The vaccine is most effective in girls who have not been exposed to any type of HPV. Research on the vaccine in women over 26 is now being conducted. Only if research shows that it is safe for that age group will the Food and Drug Administration consider approving the vaccine for women older than 26.
Q: Why aren't boys being vaccinated?
A: There's no clear reason, but women are more adversely affected by HPV than men are. Boys will probably get the vaccine eventually because they are carriers of HPV and can spread it. In males, the vaccine may prevent genital warts and rare cancers such as penile and anal, which kill about 290 and 690 people a year, respectively.
Q: How long is the vaccine effective?
A: Research suggests that the vaccine lasts at least four years, but studies will need to be done to show whether a booster is needed.
Q: How safe is the vaccine?
A: Clinical tests on more than 11,000 females have found no serious side effects. The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site.
Q: Shouldn't parents have the right to decide?
A: Parents can opt out of having their daughters vaccinated for reasons of conscience. But historically, vaccines are not universally administered unless they're required.
Q: Are there other ways to prevent HPV?
A: Sexually active adults can reduce their risk by being in a monogamous relationship with someone who has had no or few other sex partners. But even people with only one lifetime sex partner can get HPV if their partner has had previous partners.
Q: What about using the vaccine in older women?
A: The vaccine is approved for females 9 to 26, mainly because it should be given before an infection occurs. But researchers are looking at whether it can benefit older women. Most women are not infected with all four viruses. The vaccine may protect against the viruses they have not been exposed to. About 75 percent of American women have been infected with HPV.
Q: Will the vaccine wipe out cervical cancer?
A: Even if everyone is vaccinated, we will not see dramatic reductions for several decades. Doctors strongly recommend that women continue to get Pap smears even if they have been vaccinated.
SOURCES: Dr. Ralph Anderson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society
Jan Jarvis, 817-548-5423 jjarvis@star-telegram.com