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| Other drug names: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 |
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Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States.
There are about 40 types of HPV. About 20 million people in the U.S. are infected, and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. HPV is spread through sexual contact.
Most HPV infections don't cause any symptoms, and go away on their own. But HPV is important mainly because it can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year in the U.S. about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world.
HPV is also associated with several less common types of cancer in both men and women. It can also cause genital warts and warts in the upper respiratory tract.
More than 50% of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some time in their lives.
There is no treatment for HPV infection, but the conditions it causes can be treated.
HPV vaccine is an inactivated (not live) vaccine that protects against four major types of HPV.
These include two types that cause about 70% of cervical cancer and two types that cause about 90% of genital warts. HPV vaccine can prevent most genital warts and most cases of cervical, vulvar (the outside of the female genitals), and vaginal cancer.
Protection from HPV vaccine is expected to be long-lasting. But vaccinated women still need cervical cancer screening because the vaccine does not protect against all HPV types that cause cervical cancer.
HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for girls 11-12 years of age. Doctors may give it to girls as young as 9 years.
It is important for girls to get HPV vaccine before their first sexual contact - because they have not been exposed to HPV. For these girls, the vaccine can prevent almost 100% of disease caused by the four types of HPV targeted by the vaccine. However, if a girl or woman is already infected with a type of HPV, the vaccine will not prevent disease from that type.
The vaccine is also recommended for girls and women 13-26 years of age who did not receive it when they were younger.
HPV vaccine is given as a three-dose series:
Additional (booster) doses are not recommended.
HPV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.
HPV vaccine does not appear to cause any serious side effects.
However, a vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of any vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.
Mild Problems:
Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it would be within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.
Like all vaccines, HPV vaccine will continue to be monitored for unusual or severe problems.
What should I look for?
What should I do?
In the rare event that you or your child has a serious reaction to a vaccine, a federal program has been created to help pay for the care of those who have been harmed.
For details about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, call 1-800-338-2382 or visit the program's website at http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation.
HPV Vaccine Information Statement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization Program. 2/2/2007.
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Last Revised - 07/01/2009
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2009. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
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Page last updated: 18 November 2009 |