I am so young, I shouldn’t get cervical cancer! So should I still get the HPV vaccine?

Cervical cancer is a cancer that occurs in the female cervix. It is the second largest killer of women's health worldwide after breast cancer. Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization proposed a strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer in 2020. Cervical cancer is generally asymptomatic in the early stages and is easily ignored. In the late stages, it will show abnormal vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. Studies have shown that about 99.7% of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer are infected with human papillomavirus, which is the HPV (Human papillomavirus) we often hear about. Usually, the clinical detection method for cervical cancer is cervical smear screening. If the screening is abnormal, further biopsy will be performed. Therefore, it is best for women to do regular screening tests after having sex to prevent cervical cancer.

In addition to regular cervical cancer screening, which can effectively prevent cervical cancer, there are other preventive measures that can reduce the risk of HPV infection and the development of cervical cancer due to persistent HPV infection. The method that has gradually been accepted by the public is HPV vaccination. Of course, the best effect is to get vaccinated before having sex. At the same time, practicing safe sex can also effectively avoid HPV infection. Women must pay attention to the use of condoms when having sex, and never listen to the one-sided words of their sexual partners and confuse their minds, putting themselves at risk of being infected by the virus.

It should be noted that if you have received the HPV vaccine, you can assume that you will not be infected even if you do not use condoms. Even if you have received the nine-valent vaccine, which has the widest range of protective effects, it is impossible to completely resist viral infection. As an effective physical defense, the role and status of condoms cannot be underestimated. Condoms are no longer unfamiliar to everyone, but I believe that some people are still confused about the HPV vaccine and do not know which type of HPV vaccine they should receive. Next, let's take a closer look at the HPV virus and the HPV vaccine.

What is HPV virus?

HPV is a DNA virus, and 170 types of HPV have been identified. Of these, 30 to 40 types can infect the genitals and surrounding skin through sexual intercourse, and some of these types can cause genital warts. If you are repeatedly infected with some high-risk HPV types without symptoms such as warts, you are likely to develop cervical cancer.

HPV viruses are divided into low-risk groups and high-risk groups according to their risk. The low-risk group includes types 6, 11, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 70, and the high-risk group includes types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 68. Among them, high-risk HPV types such as HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, and HPV-33 are prone to cause cervical cancer. Furthermore, statistics from the International Agency for Research on Cancer show that the proportion of cervical cancer caused by infection with HPV-16 and HPV-18 is nearly 70%. However, it is worth noting that not all HPV viruses will develop into cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. Therefore, if clinical examinations show that you are infected with the HPV virus, you don’t have to panic too much, and you need to further confirm whether it is a high-risk type of virus. Studies have shown that 60% of people can rely on their own immune system to eliminate the virus 6 months after being infected with HPV, more than 30% of people will develop high-grade epithelial lesions, and finally only 10% will develop cervical cancer.

What is the HPV vaccine?

HPV vaccine is a vaccine that can protect against certain subtypes of HPV virus. Currently, HPV vaccines on the market can be divided into three types to protect against two, four or nine types of HPV virus, namely "bivalent, quadrivalent, nonavalent" that we often hear, and "valent" represents the types of viruses that the vaccine can prevent.

Different types of HPV vaccines can protect against the following types of viruses:

It can be seen that the above three types of vaccines can protect against HPV-16 and HPV-18, which are high-risk viruses that cause about 70% of cervical cancer. The vaccination cycle is not fixed. Although vaccination can be delayed, it is still recommended to complete all injections within 12 months.

In addition to age, we can choose the vaccination that suits us. People still have some questions about vaccines. Common questions are as follows:

Can men get the HPV vaccine?

Generally, men infected with HPV virus will not show common symptoms in women, but the virus can be transmitted to sexual partners through sexual intercourse. In addition, HPV vaccination for men can prevent sexually transmitted diseases caused by HPV virus, such as male genital warts. Therefore, for the health and safety of themselves and their sexual partners, it is best for men to get HPV vaccination. Currently, Australian policy stipulates that boys can get HPV vaccination for free.

Can I stop wearing condoms after getting the HPV vaccine?

As mentioned above, condoms, as a physical defense, play a big role in both contraception and viral transmission. Even if you get the HPV vaccine, women should remind their partners to use condoms when having sex.

Do I still need regular screening after receiving the HPV vaccine?

HPV vaccines only protect against viruses to a large extent, but they do not completely guarantee that you will not be infected with the virus again after vaccination. Therefore, women still need to undergo regular screening to prevent cervical cancer after receiving the HPV vaccine.

How long does the HPV vaccine last?

Current research shows that vaccination can protect the body for about 10 years. As to whether the protective ability will disappear after 10 years, there are no research reports on this issue.

Can HPV vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine be administered at the same time?

There is currently not much clinical data to prove that the two vaccines can be administered at the same time. In order to avoid affecting the effectiveness of the vaccines, relevant departments recommend that the interval between the HPV vaccine and the new crown vaccine be at least 14 days.

Therefore, female friends of appropriate age can consider HPV vaccination based on their own situation. It is also recommended that male friends around them realize the importance of vaccination and are willing to get vaccinated. As the public's awareness of vaccination increases, the vaccine coverage rate gradually expands. I believe that humans will have hope of defeating cervical cancer, a major public health issue, in the future!

References:

[1] Qiao Youlin, Zhao Yuqian. Epidemiological status and prevention of cervical cancer[J]. Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2015, 11(2): 141-147.

[2] Ying Qian, Xia Qingmin, Zheng Rongshou, et al. Analysis of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in China in 2009[J]. Chinese Journal of Oncology, 2013, 8: 612-616.

[3] Yu Yanqin, Fu Shilan, Xu Huifang, et al. Systematic review of human papillomavirus infection rate and distribution of HPV types in nine-valent vaccine among female physical examination population in mainland China[J]. Cancer Prevention and Treatment, 2019, 32(2): 103-113.

[4] National Medical Products Administration website. Popular science questions and answers about HPV vaccines [EB/OL]. [2019-07-17].

http://www.gov.cn/fuwu/2019-07/17/content_5410452.htm.

[5] Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong. Cervical cancer vaccination [EB/OL]. [2020-09-01]. https://www.chp.gov.hk/sc/features/102146.html.