“Vac Facts”: HPV – Roughly one in four Americans have Human Papillomavirus
Lara Abramov
| 3 min read
It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but it’s one that deserves attention. An article recently appeared indicating that in 2010, as many as 40 percent of parents surveyed have bypassed or plan on forgoing having their children get the HPV vaccine. Reasons include:
- Their children not being sexually active
- Safety concerns and side effects
- The vaccine is “not needed or not necessary”
However, nearly 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, with about 14 million people becoming infected every year. According to the US Census Bureau, there are over 315 million Americans. The math is simple but scary: roughly 1 in 4 Americans are infected with HPV.
In fact, HPV is so common that, according to the CDC, “nearly all sexually active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives.”
What exactly is the HPV? What health problems can HPV cause? Who should get the HPV vaccine? Read on for more information from the Centers for Disease Control.
What is HPV?
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is spread through sexual contact.
- There are approximately 40 types of genital HPV.
- Some types can cause cervical cancer in women and other kinds of cancer in both men and women.
- Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it.
- In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV within two years.
- There is no way to know which people who get HPV will go on to develop health problems.
- Some types of HPV can cause genital warts in both males and females; some rare types can cause warts in the throat.
- Other HPV types can cause normal cells in the body to turn abnormal and might lead to cancer over time.
- Vaccines can protect against some of the most common types of HPV.
- It works by preventing the most common types of HPV that cause cervical cancer and genital warts.
- HPV is three dose vaccine.
- Important to get all three doses long before any sexual activity as someone can become infected during their first sexual contact.
- Vaccination is most effective when given at 11 or 12 years old; higher antibodies are produced at this age.
- The HPV vaccination is safe and effective.
- No serious side effects; common mild side effects include:
- Pain at injection site
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea
- No serious side effects; common mild side effects include:
- For those who are sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV infection.
- Abstinence is the only way to avoid HPV.
- Cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, with regular screening and follow-up. Two tests can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early—
- Currently, there is no routine screening test recommended for other HPV-related health effects, such as genital warts or other HPV-associated cancers .
Please visit the CDC website for more information.
Image: CDC
