Do you know? Open the door | Women must know about HPV!

Expert who wrote this article: Liu Jiang, national health science popularization expert, member of the National Health Commission's Capacity Building and Continuing Education Oncology Committee, director of the Oncology Department of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region People's Hospital, member of the Science Popularization Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, chairman of the Xinjiang Medical Association's Health Science Popularization Professional Committee, and chief science communication expert of the autonomous region.

With the improvement of the health awareness of the whole nation, the vaccine that can effectively prevent cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus, also known as HPV infection, has attracted much attention among women of appropriate age. "Why did I get cervical cancer when I was so young?"

Many young cervical cancer patients often ask their doctors this question, and many female friends also feel that cervical cancer is far away from them. ** In fact, cervical cancer is not far away from us......

What is cervical cancer?

The cervix is ​​located in the female pelvic cavity, with the bladder in front and the rectum behind, while the uterus is located between the bladder and the rectum. The uterus is inverted pear-shaped, and the cervix is ​​the gateway to the uterus, located at the lower end of the uterus. Malignant tumors that occur in the cervix are cervical cancer.

The global cancer statistics report shows that in 2020, there were 604,000 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide, and 342,000 female cancer patients died from cervical cancer.

Data shows that in 2020, there were approximately 110,000 new cases of cervical cancer in China, and 59,000 female cancer patients died of cervical cancer. The incidence of cervical cancer among women aged 15-44 in China ranks third among malignant tumors, and cervical cancer has become the second leading cause of death among female cancer patients in this age group in China.

The data also show that the incidence of cervical cancer in my country is becoming younger.

Unlike other cancers, cervical cancer is the only malignant tumor with a clear cause. Statistics show that 99.7% of cervical cancer patients eventually develop the disease due to HPV infection, which is a necessary condition for the occurrence of cervical cancer.

The latest data shows that there were approximately 600,000 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide in 2020, and 85% of these new cases of cervical cancer occurred in developing countries. One of the important reasons for this is that the HPV vaccination rate in many developing countries is too low.

As the world's largest developing country, China 's HPV vaccination rate among females aged 9 to 14 is less than 1%, and the overall HPV vaccination rate is less than 5%. This shows that China's current HPV vaccination rate is also very low.

HPV vaccine not only prevents cervical cancer, but it can also prevent a variety of diseases, such as anal cancer, vaginal cancer, etc. Therefore, receiving HPV cervical cancer vaccine can not only prevent cervical cancer, but also provide protection for female friends.

Although awareness of HPV vaccination has increased in recent years and many people have started to make appointments for HPV vaccination, there are still many people who only have a vague understanding of HPV.

Can HPV vaccination effectively prevent cervical cancer?

First of all, we need to know that the HPV virus is a very large family, and there are more than 200 virus types recognized by the world.

Among the numerous HPV viruses, high-risk HPV viruses are the main cause of cervical cancer. More than 70% of cervical cancer patients are infected with the two high-risk HPV viruses, type 16 and type 18.

HPV vaccination can prevent cervical cancer by preventing infection with the corresponding types of HPV viruses.

I can’t make an appointment for the nine-valent vaccine, what should I choose?

Faced with the threat of HPV virus, more and more female friends now choose to get vaccinated with HPV vaccine.

However, since the 4-valent HPV vaccine and the 9-valent HPV vaccine can prevent more types of HPV viruses, they are more popular among female friends, which has created an embarrassing situation where it is difficult to get a shot.

Many friends will ask, what should I do if I can’t make an appointment for the 4-valent and 9-valent vaccines?

But instead of waiting for a long time, it is better to get the vaccine as soon as possible, because the bivalent vaccine can also effectively prevent cervical cancer.

Although the 2-valent HPV vaccine prevents fewer types of HPV viruses,** it prevents high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, which are most closely associated with cervical cancer. ** Studies have found that the 2-valent HPV vaccine has cross-protection effects, so we cannot ignore the benefits of either vaccine.

In real life, many people have made appointments for the 4/9-valent vaccine, but because it is hard to get a shot, they have been waiting, and vaccination has been delayed year after year, which puts themselves in danger.

Will HPV infection definitely lead to cervical cancer?

First of all, let me tell you, it’s not!

We should know that there are many types of HPV viruses, among which high-risk HPV virus infection is related to the incidence of cervical cancer.

In fact, HPV infection is very common in life. Many women who have sex may have been infected with HPV, but most people are only transiently infected. The body's immune system will clear the virus. Only persistent HPV infection and high-risk HPV infection may eventually develop into cervical cancer.

HPV virus infection is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, indirect contact (sharing bathtubs and other living utensils), and mother-to-child transmission.

Early symptoms of cervical cancer:

In the early stages, it is mostly contact bleeding; most patients have vaginal discharge, the fluid is white or bloody, can be as thin as water or rice water, or have a fishy odor.

How is cervical cancer screening done?

Women should be screened for cervical cancer from the age of 21. Those aged 21-29 only need to undergo cytology screening every 3 years, and HPV testing is not required. Those aged 30-65 are recommended to undergo combined cytology and HPV screening every 5 years, or cytology screening every 3 years. Women over 65 who have normal screening results in the past do not need to undergo screening again. Women who have sexual activity must undergo regular screening for cervical cancer.

Even if you have received the HPV vaccine, you still need to undergo regular cervical cancer screening. Cervical cancer screening is even more important for female friends who have not been vaccinated or have missed the best vaccination period!

Editor in charge: Sang Green

Source: Popular Science Xinjiang