All girls can get the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine free from the NHS from the age of 12 up to their 18th birthday. A series of two injections at least six months apart, it protects against cervical cancer, which is the most common cancer in women under 35 in the UK.
In April 2019 it was reported that the routine vaccination of girls with the HPV vaccine in Scotland has led to a “dramatic” drop in cervical disease in later life. Researchers said the vaccine has nearly wiped out cases of cervical pre-cancer in young women since an immunisation programme was introduced 10 years ago.
They found the vaccine had led to a 90% cut in pre-cancerous cells and the effects of the programme had “exceeded expectations”. As a result of this, The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will extend the immunisation to boys of the same age in Scotland. Last year, in Scotland only, the injection began to be offered to men up to the age of 45 who have sex with other men.
On the 8th April 2019 it was announced that the HPV vaccine will be offered to boys in year 9, in Northern Ireland from September 2019.
What is HPV?
HPV is the name given to a very common group of viruses, some of which are “high risk” because they’re linked to the development of cancers, such as cervical cancer. Other types can cause conditions like warts or verrucas. Nearly all cervical cancers (99.7%) are caused by infection with a high-risk type of HPV and the infection doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, so most people don’t know they’re infected.
What are the different types of HPV and what do they do?
There are more than 100 different types of HPV and around 40 that affect the genital area.
HPV is very common and can be caught through any kind of sexual contact with another person who already has it. Most people will get a HPV infection at some point in their lives, and their bodies will get rid of it naturally without treatment, but some women infected with a high-risk type of HPV won’t be able to clear it.
Over time, this can cause abnormal tissue growth as well as other changes in the cells of the cervix, which can lead to cervical cancer if not treated.
High-risk types of HPV are also linked to other types of cancer, including:
vaginal cancer
vulval cancer
anal cancer
cancer of the penis
Some cancers of the head and neck
Infection with other types of HPV may cause: genital warts – small growths or skin changes on or around the genital or anal area, which are the most common viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK.
How does the HPV vaccine work?
Currently, the national NHS HPV vaccination programme uses a vaccine called Gardasil.
Gardasil protects against 4 types of HPV: 6, 11, 16 and 18. Between them, types 16 and 18 are the cause of most cervical cancers in the UK (more than 70%).
HPV types 6 and 11 cause nearly all cases of genital warts (90%), so using Gardasil helps protect girls against both cervical cancer and genital warts.
HPV vaccination does not protect against other infections spread during sex, such as Chlamydia, so it’s still very important to practise safe sex.
HPV vaccination for men and boys
Cervical cancer can’t affect boys and men because they don’t have a cervix, but other cancers that can affect men – such as cancer of the anus, penis, mouth and throat – are also linked to infection with HPV 16 and 18. In addition, HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for the majority of genital wart infections.
Vaccinating girls indirectly helps protect boys from these types of cancer and genital warts because vaccinated girls won’t pass HPV on to them. This is called Herd immunity, however, many doctors argue this does not work because boys may go on to have a male partner, have a female partner who has not had the jab or have a partner from a country where they do not provide HPV vaccinations. The number of genital wart infections in the UK has already fallen in both girls and boys because of the vaccination programme.
In July 2018 it was announced that adolescent boys in the UK will also be offered the HPV vaccination between the ages of 12-13 but at that stage there was not a specific date given as to when this would happen. It is estimated this additional facility will cost the NHS around £20m per year. Currently the cost of treating HPV related diseases is high; treating anogenital warts alone is estimated to cost £58m a year.
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