10 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CERVICAL CANCER VACCINATION. The vaccination campaign against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer (cervical carcinoma), launched in 2009, has caused considerable concern and raised questions. Due to online scaremongering, a number of girls have decided against vaccination. This is unwise.
Below, 10 simple questions explain how it works:1. What does cervical cancer have to do with the human papillomavirus (HPV)?The cervix lies at the transition from the vagina to the uterus. It contains a type of cell in which cancer can develop. These cancer cells almost always harbor an HPV infection. There are more than a hundred types of HPV, and about fifteen of them promote cancer development. In the Western world, types 16 and 18 are the most common. These types are present in approximately 70 percent of all cervical cancer cells. Why these high-risk HPV types promote cancer growth is unknown.2. Do these HPV types always cause cervical cancer?No, almost never. Over 80 percent of all women (and men) have had an HPV infection with cancer-promoting types at some point in their lives. But of all women in the Netherlands who die, 0.3 percent die from cervical cancer.3. How do you get infected?People often contract HPV when they start having sex, or when they experiment with multiple partners. That's why the government wants to vaccinate people before they start having sex.4. Can you also transmit HPV in other ways?Yes, through all skin-to-skin contact; mouth, fingers, penis, you name it. You can even get it from a contaminated wet towel. But the micro-injuries that occur during sex on the glans and in the vagina likely increase the risk of infection.5. Do you notice that you are infected?No, you won't notice any symptoms from the HPV types (types 16 and 18) that the Cervarix vaccine used in the Netherlands protects against. Other sexually transmitted HPV types, such as HPV types 6 and 11, cause genital warts. Other (non-sexually transmitted) HPV types cause "regular" warts.6. Why aren't boys vaccinated against HPV?There hasn't been enough research on this yet, and it's expensive. But it's not a bad idea, because a man can infect many women during sex, and the vaccine doesn't offer complete protection.7. Have girls become very ill (or worse) after vaccination?No. Hundreds of thousands of women have now been vaccinated, and some women died shortly after vaccination; this is no more than is statistically normal, according to the American drug safety agency (FDA). The vaccine has been tested in girls and women aged 10 to 25. Very often (4 out of 5) they develop a painful, red arm where the injection was given. More than 1 in 10 develop muscle pain or a headache. More than 1 in 100 develop a fever, itching, or a rash.8. Can girls choose for themselves whether or not they want the vaccination?Yes, according to the law, children aged twelve and over can decide for themselves about medical treatment. Sometimes, for example, parents are fundamentally opposed to vaccinations or blood transfusions, while children themselves want them.9. What are the consequences if you do not get vaccinated?Not much in the short term. Cervical cancer only develops years after HPV infection. It's truly a disease of adult women. Women between 30 and 60 are invited for a Pap smear every five years. It's no picnic; the doctor inserts a small brush into your vagina and removes some cervical cells for laboratory analysis. About 1 in 10 women hear that something might be suspicious, or that an assessment is impossible because the wrong cells were taken. Rarely does a true cervical cancer alarm arise.10. Will smear tests no longer be necessary from now on?Pap smears will still be necessary for girls currently being vaccinated, because the vaccine only protects against the two HPV types that together cause 70 percent of all cervical cancers. It would be much more convenient if the vaccine protected against all HPV types involved in cancer; that's also being worked on. The current vaccine may well save dozens of women a year from dying from cervical cancer in 20 years. It's still a hassle, of course, with tens of thousands of girls receiving calls for a shot every year. And then there are the Pap smears. But on the other hand, most girls have already been vaccinated so many times, three more shots are a welcome addition. And it could save your life later, although there's a good chance you'll get the shot for nothing. |
