The Facts about Cervical Cancer and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine OneForTheGirls - A website for young Auckland women.


Facts about cervical cancer and vaccination What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV) HPVs are very common viruses. Infection with some types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer and to genital warts The types of HPV that cause cervical cancer and genital warts are spread through sexual contact More than 99% of all cervical cancer is linked to infection with HPV Four out of five people become infected with HPV at some time in their life, most commonly between the ages of 16 and 20 years Most HPV infections clear without treatment and do not lead to cervical cancer. What is cervical cancer? Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus or womb and is at the top of the vagina Cervical cancer develops when HPV infections don’t clear and cause abnormal cells to grow on the cervix. Top Why vaccinate? Every year in New Zealand about 160 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 60 will die from it. Vaccinating girls and young women now against the main viruses that cause cervical cancer will reduce their chances of getting cervical cancer later in life In the long-term more than 30 lives may be saved every year because of the vaccine. Who is eligible? Who can be vaccinated? Gardasil®, the name of the HPV vaccine, is licensed for 9-45 year olds The vaccine is most effective in women who have not been sexually active as they will not have been exposed to the HPV virus The vaccine can, however, still be effective in the first few years after women become sexually active if they have not been exposed to all the HPV viruses Age is therefore not the main consideration in the effectiveness of the vaccine but whether or not you have been exposed to the HPV virus It is recommended that older women discuss vaccination with their GP The free immunisation programme is not available to boys. However, this may be reconsidered at a later date. Who should not receive the vaccine? Anyone who has a life-threatening reaction (hypersensitivity or anaphylaxis) to yeast, or any other component of the vaccine The vaccine should not be given to pregnant women. Top Who is eligible to get the vaccination for FREE? Girls born from 1 January 1990 are eligible for the free HPV Immunisation Programme through schools and healthcare providers The national immunisation programme offers the HPV vaccine through participating schools at no charge to all girls from year 8 to year 13 Girls born from 1 January 1990, who are no longer in school, can go to their family doctor, student health, or other healthcare provider for free immunisation Girls born in 1990 or 1991 have until December 2011 to start the vaccination programme for free Girls born from 1992 onwards have until their 20th birthday to get the vaccination for free When considering whether or not to delay receiving the HPV vaccination, remember it is most effective if received prior to the onset of sexual activity Next year is the last opportunity to get the vaccination from school for girls in year 9 or above. Afterwards, only year 8’s will routinely get vaccinated through the HPV school-based immunisation programme. Where can people go to get the vaccine if they can’t get it for free? Anyone born earlier than 1990 can pay to receive the vaccine from a family doctor, Family Planning Clinics, tertiary student health centres, local health clinics or any other healthcare provider in New Zealand. It costs from $450 for the THREE doses Non-residents older than 16 years must also pay to get the vaccine at one of the healthcare providers listed above. Top About immunisation and the vaccine How does immunisation work? The vaccine causes the body’s immune system to produce its own protection against four HPV types The vaccine is given as THREE injections in the upper arm over a six-month period. How effective is immunisation? The vaccine is highly successful. It has shown to be 95-100% effective at preventing the four types of HPV it targets It can protect young women from infection of the two HPV types which cause 7 out of 10 cervical cancers and the two HPV types which cause 9 out of 10 cases of genital warts Since the introduction of the vaccine in Australia, there has been a dramatic reduction in genital warts in Melbourne. Top How long does the immunisation last? Protection from HPV is expected to be long-lasting Research indicates that the efficacy of this vaccine remains high even after five years of being immunised Studies will continue to monitor the protection the vaccine provides Booster doses (as required for some other vaccines), aren’t expected to be needed for the HPV vaccine, but this is being monitored. How safe is the vaccine? The vaccine has been shown to have an excellent safety profile during large clinical trials involving more than 20,000 girls and young women across 33 countries The studies were done comparing people who had received the vaccine with similar numbers of people who did not receive it. The outcomes were compared between the two groups There were no long-term side effects seen in the vaccine group when compared to the group that did not receive the vaccine In 2007, the World Health Organization’s global advisory committee on vaccine safety said that Gardasil® (the vaccine) continues to have a good safety profile The vaccine’s safety continues to be monitored here and overseas The vaccine has been approved for use in over 100 countries including Australia, the US, Canada and European Union countries. Top Immunisation procedure How long will it take to get a dose of the vaccine? It takes about 15-20 minutes so that the doctor or nurse has time to discuss the vaccine with you and give the injection You will be asked to wait 20 minutes after vaccination so that they can monitor any reaction (such as an allergic reaction) to the vaccine. What sort of reactions can be expected? All injections can cause some minor discomfort at the site of the injection (including the vaccine) The following reactions may be experienced after vaccination – pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, a general feeling of unwellness, mild fever The one serious event that can occur in a very small number of cases with any vaccine including this one is a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). It can come on within 10 minutes of receiving the vaccine and cause skin rash, difficulty breathing and facial swelling This severe allergic reaction can be treated with medication and has no long-lasting effect. This is why all people being given vaccines are asked to wait for twenty minutes after they have received the injection No one has died as a result of the vaccine. Top What if I am on the pill? There should not be any problems with being on the oral contraceptive pill while having the HPV vaccine Many of the women participating in the original trials would have been on contraception, and there is no biological reason why the vaccine would interfere with the pill. If vaccinated, will I still need to have cervical smear tests? A cervical smear (or pap smear) is a test that looks for changes on the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer at a later date The HPV vaccine doesn’t protect against all HPV types that cause cervical cancer, so once sexually active you still need to have a smear test every three years for women aged 20 to 70 years old For more information about the National Cervical Screening Programme check out www.cervicalcancervaccine.govt.nz or phone 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863). Do my parents or guardians need to give consent? If you are going to be vaccinated at school and are aged 16 or over, you can give your own consent. You will still need to sign and return the consent form If you are going to be vaccinated at school and are under 16 years of age, you are required to have parental or your guardian’s consent. Top One way you might approach your parents Your parents will want to make sure you make good decisions about your health If you feel awkward about approaching them, you could invite an older female friend, relative or professional (teacher or doctor) to meet with you and your parents It can sometimes be hard to talk to Mums and Dads about issues like this, but once you start it should become easier.	Jade Collins is up for the challenge. Are you? Look out for the next Celebrity Challenge coming soon! Quick Fact Protection is expected to be long-lasting. The longevity of the vaccine continues to be monitored both in New Zealand and overseas. Get started!