Getting Gardasil Vaccine After Exposure to HPV

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Getting Gardasil Vaccine After Exposure to HPV

Question:

My friend is 25 years old. She thinks she has genital warts. Would getting the HPV vaccine offer protection against cervical cancer even if she has been exposed to the virus?

Answer:

Women who have been exposed to human papilloma virus (HPV) should still consider getting the vaccine.

HPV is a common virus. It infects the skin and skin-like tissues, such as those found on the cervix. Genital warts are caused by HPV. The warts are noncancerous (benign) growths that typically occur on the external skin of the genital area.

Certain types of HPV cause changes in the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer. Pap smears can identify theses changes early. This allows women to be treated before cancer has a chance to develop. Pap smears are very successful in decreasing the occurrence of cervical cancer.

Being vaccinated against the virus can reduce a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer even further than with Pap smear screening alone. There are dozens of types of HPV. The vaccine called Gardasil protects against the four most important types. Even if your friend has been infected with one type, the vaccine can protect her against the other three types.

Gardasil protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Types 6 and 11 are the most important causes of genital warts. Types 16 and 18 are the most common types associated with cervical cancer. If a woman is exposed to these types and her immune system does not clear the infection, her cervix is vulnerable to developing cancer.

Gardasil is most effective when given before being exposed to the virus. The current recommendation is that the vaccine be given to girls between the ages of 9 and 26. The vaccine is given in three injections over six months. Women who receive the vaccine should still get Pap smears at regular intervals. Check with your doctor to see if the vaccine is right for you.

Joan Bengtson, M.D., is assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproduction at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009