Health Tips A to Z

The Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) is spread by having sex. A lot of sexually active young men and women in their late teens or early 20s are infected with HPV. Most HPV infections don’t have any symptoms and the infection goes away on its own. But, HPV infection may cause  cervical cancer and genital warts. Cervical cancer can sometimes lead to death.

The HPV vaccine protects against the 4 major kinds of HPV infection. These cause most cervical cancers and genital warts. It’s advised for girls and women ages 11 to 26.

Consult with your primary care provider about receiving the HPV vaccine when –  

o  Are 26 or younger and haven’t already received the vaccination

The HPV vaccine is a series of 3 shots given over 6 months.

The vaccine is safe. You won’t get HPV from the vaccine. After each shot you might have some discomfort, redness or swelling were the needle went in, or a mild fever.

Regular screening for cervical cancer with a PAP smear is important, even when you receive the HPV vaccine. Consult with your healthcare team about getting screened.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 at 6:11 am and is filed under Health Tips, Wellness Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.