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QUESTION
HPV vaccine - what is it and how it should be done? How important is HPV vaccine for women health and especially for women reproductive health? How protect my daughter from dangerous HPV?
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ANSWER from experts
Actually HPV vaccine is very important for future women health including reproductive health.
Gardasil (Merck & Co.), also known as Silgard, is a vaccine against certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Gardasil is the only cervical cancer vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV): 2 types that cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90% of genital warts cases. Gardasil is for girls and young women ages 9 to 26.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer in women world- wide, and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the majority of developing countries.
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Gardasil is only effective in preventing HPV infections, not in treating those already infected by HPV, and so the vaccine must be given before HPV infection occurs in order to be effective. For this reason it is recommended to administer the vaccine before adolescence and the onset of sexual activity.
Gardasil usually given in three injections during six months. After 2 months the second injection of Gardasil should be done. The third injection should be done after 4 months after the second shot.
It is important to mention that Gardasil should not be used for pregnant women and Gardasil does not treat cervical cancer or genital warts.
Gardasil may not fully protect everyone, and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer, so it’s important to continue routine cervical cancer screenings.
Gardasil will not protect against diseases caused by other HPV types or against diseases not caused by HPV.
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