WOMEN'S PREVENTIVE HEALTH
HPV and the HPV Vaccine: Prevent Cervical Cancer.
Nearly all cervical cancer is caused by HPV, and the vaccine helps prevent it.
The HPV vaccine is one of the strongest tools we have against cervical cancer. Here is what it does and who should get it.
Prevention is powerful. Almost all cervical cancer starts with HPV, a common virus, and the HPV vaccine helps stop it before it ever begins. Paired with regular cervical cancer screening, the vaccine gives women strong, lasting protection.
What is HPV and how does it cause cervical cancer?
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a very common virus. Most infections clear on their own, but a lasting infection with certain types can slowly cause cervical cancer. Nearly all cervical cancer traces back to HPV, which is why prevention matters so much.
Because HPV drives almost every case, the vaccine and a routine Pap smear together are the best protection a woman has (CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/hpv-cancer.htm).
Who should get the HPV vaccine and when?
The CDC recommends the HPV vaccine routinely at ages 11 or 12, and it can start as early as age 9. Anyone not vaccinated earlier is recommended to catch up through age 26. Adults 27 to 45 can talk with a provider about whether it helps them.
More than 15 years of data show the vaccine is safe and long lasting, and it can prevent over 90 percent of the cancers caused by HPV (CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/hcp/vaccination-considerations/index.html
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. More than 15 years of data show it is safe and provides long lasting protection.
Adults 27 to 45 can talk with a provider about whether the vaccine would benefit them.
No. You can come straight to EAESSI and we help you get screened.