You’ve probably heard of HPV – human pappilomavirus. Hell, you may even have had it. Or you may have it now without realising it (insert slightly ominous music here).
HPV is the sexually transmitted virus that causes genital warts that can also lead to cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine, Gardisil, was developed by former Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer and since 2007 the Australian Government has vaccinated teenage girls against this virus while they’re at school, the idea being that they’re immunised before they begin sexual activity.
So far so good.
The rate of HPV infection has dropped dramatically since the vaccine program began. That means fewer girls and women will develop cervical cancer. Fewer girls and women will have their fertility affected. Fewer girls and women will die.
But what’s only recently come to light is that HPV can also cause other types of cancer in both girls and boys including cancer of the throat, mouth and tonsils.
In fact, some studies have suggested that HPV beats out tobacco as the leading cause of throat cancer around the world.
HPV is a very common sexually transmitted infection which usually causes no symptoms and goes away by itself, but can sometimes cause serious illnesses. Almost all cases of genital warts and cervical cancer are due to HPV. There are many different HPV types, which are considered either ‘low risk’ or ‘high risk’.
Four out of five people have at least one type of HPV at some time in their lives. It is sometimes called ‘the common cold’ of sexual activity. HPV infects both men and women. The virus is transferred from one person to the other through sexual intimate contact, usually without the person ever knowing it.
You can be exposed to HPV the first time sexual activity occurs, from only one sexual partner.
The types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts are spread through genital-skin to genital-skin contact (not just penetrative sex). The virus enters the body through tiny breaks in the skin.
Condoms offer some but not total protection from HPV, as they don’t cover all of the genital skin. They do offer protection from many other sexually transmitted infections though, and help prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Australia’s Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has just announced that teenage boys are going to start receiving this vaccination too – so we asked her to explain to us, what’s going on and why. Here’s what she had to tell Mamamia readers:
HPV – the virus responsible for genital warts – is really common with about 80 % of Australians having at least one strain during their lifetime. HPV is also related to several particularly nasty cancers.
Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek
There is an established link between HPV and cervical cancer, penile cancer, head and neck cancers and others. Protecting against HPV will eventually save many lives.
Vaccinating boys will protect our sons, but it will also lead to better protection for our daughters. As the rate of HPV in the community decreases the likelihood of being exposed to the virus reduces: we’re better protecting whole generations including those people who missed out on the vaccination.
We immunise both boys and girls for rubella (german measles) to protect unborn babies from birth defects. We’ve managed to go from 5,000 cases of rubella in 1995 to about one rubella related birth defect a year more recently, to none since 2007.
If your son is starting high school next year, he can get the Gardasil® vaccine for free through a school-based program. Older boys under 15 will also be able catch up next year and the year after.
To be effective, both boys and girls have to be immunised before they are sexually active. It’s of little, or no use, after. To get the maximum protection, both young men and women should have all three doses in a six month period.
You can read more about HPV and the Gardisil vaccine here: http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/
Have you or someone you know had the Gardisil vaccine? Does knowing the connection between HPV and these other types of cancer make you re-think your sexual activity?
Comments
68 Comments so far
No offence MM but 90% of your articles are OLD news.
But anyway, I know this dumb girl who gets a papsmear every six months even though shes only ever been with one man. My doctor told me that getting it done this often is actually not good as it can damage the cervix and increases chances of infection. Any thoughts? She says every 2 years is fine. Once a year if you have multiple partners. I hate how much conflicting info is out there.
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I have a lovely appointment on the 2nd of August to have a follow up coposcopy after my surgery in Feb to get rid of ominous cells because of HPV. My ex had a wart on his penis (not genital warts, one you could easily get anywhere on your body) but it gave me HPV.
I don’t have genital warts, but it was picked up on my pap smear.
I hate colposcopies. They hurt and I always feel violated afterwards. But they are extremely important
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Girly, you must be brave, i find any kind of ‘examination’ of my private regions let alone procedures difficult to endure emotionally let alone physcially, so kudos to you and I hope it all goes well, big hugs!
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Thanks, aura. I tend to think any routine examination to keep me healthy and cancer-free is well worth it. I always think that any invasive examination to treat anything before it became cancerous will always be better than any treatment I’d receive if I was diagnosed with cancer, and then I wouldn’t have the guarantee of getting better!
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Yep, definately! I’ll keep that in mind as well, in order to motivate myself to have this done tmrw!
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Colposcopy’s are definitely not the most fun thing to do! I am due for a follow up one in the next month. The things we do to be women
Prevention is key for cervical cancer and I have written a blog on it here, trying to encourage young women (mostly my group of girlfriends) to see their doctor for a pap smear. It is so good to hear a positive story on MM about HPVs and cervical cancer and to hear so many women have gone to get their pap smear!
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I know that it wasn’t the intention of the article and comments down below, but this whole thing has me kinda freaked out! I’m 23 and have never had a pap smear… eeek, guess I should get one now… can your regular gp do one for you?
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Yes they can, but ask for a Thinprep test as well. My GP offered it to me, as sometimes suspicious cells aren’t picked up on a generic pap smear. It does cost a little extra, but well worth it as that exact thing happened to me; the pap smear didn’t pick up the pre-cancerous cells – the Thinprep test did.
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Thank you for replying girly, and for the tip! So I should have both tests done? When you say that they are expensive, around how much? (as I have no idea, so would like to have a general idea at least)
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Yes, just tell them you want the thinprep as well. It’s all done with the one smear (as in, they only take a swab of your cervix once) but they send in two different preparations of the cells to the pathologist. Through QML Pathology the thinprep is around $48. Your regular GP can do it all for you.
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Important FYI
Studies have shown that protection offered by the vaccine is not permanent. It’s probably providing protection for 5-10 years. This means you are going to need booster shots to stay covered.
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Thanks for the article MM.
Anyone on here who has been putting off having a pap smear…I beg you PLEASE go and book in to have one!
I had put mine off for almost 4 years and just this week learned that I have high abnormal cell changes and will need to go to a gyno for a biopsy and closer investigation and treatment. This news has scared the hell out of me and I will no longer put off having my pap done because it’s uncomfortable and hurts. You don’t just owe it to yourself, but also those who love you to look after your health.
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I’m sorry, am I the only one who just doesn’t understand this? How do you get cancer from just talking about sex?
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Hahahaha
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I had the vaccine shots 5 years ago and about a year later I had a pap smear that was abnormal. Had a colposcopy and some other thing done that I cant remember what its called but at $500 (after mbf/medicare) I thought it was serious enough.
What bugs me is that my entire education at highschool from years 7-12 the school intentionally tried to scare us about infection even telling us that condoms were 50% ineffective given that my year 8 class in 2003 got busted for 12 girls selling themselves in the city only to get a detention and a lecture and something like Hpv never really got explained.
When we had the shots I recall not one student knew what it was for and the teachers couldn’t even explain it but I remembered the nurse giving us the shots told us that they dont know if its even going to work for 50 years…
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Curious- I had a few sexual partners in my teens but now I’m happily and very faithfully (on both sides) married. Is there any real point in me getting the vaccine & pap smears done now?
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Pap smears are not just for HPV. If you are sexually active, you should be having them every 2 years or so even if you are with the same partner.
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Sexual activity is not a defining criteria for a pap smear. You should be having them every two years regardless of whether or not you are sexually active!
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You absolutely need pap smears. HPV can lay dormant for many years before becoming active, so you could have come into contact with a HPV strain in your teens but it only becomes active in your late 20′s. If you don’t have regular pap smears then you have very little chance of,picking up cervical cancer in it’s early and easily treatable stages.
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It’s a scary thought that some women think being monogamous negates the need for regular pap smears.
Pap smears are used to pick up a number of irregularities – and are not just for people who have multiple partners!
Once registered you should receive a helpful 2 yearly reminder from the State Health Department. (Unless that only happens in Qld?)
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Yep you’re right! I know a nun who has pap smears at the recommendation of gynae.
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Thats just whay my gynae told me too! He has treated a nun who ended up losing her battle because she never had a smear.
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I had the Gardisil vaccine in my last year of highschool & am so glad I wasn’t sexually active before then! Despite being very well educated about the risk of STIs etc I have never used a condom when giving head. When I think about this it is a pretty stupid thing to do considering some of my partners had quite extensive sexual history. However it does not seem to be something that is done with anyone I know. Most people I’m aware of believe you just need to use condoms for intercourse not for oral sex. Is this the same for others? I am so grateful to have had this vaccination though!
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I am 20 years old. On my 20th birthday in February, I got a call from my doctor informing me that I again have received abnormal results in a recent pap smear and it was time to see a specialist. I had another pap smear and a colposcopy, and was then told I have CIN2 (50% chance my cells could remain dormant or heal & 50% they could become cancerous). I have now had another pap smear, seen another doctor and have booked in a LLETZ procedure for September, to have the abnormal cells lining my cervix removed.
The entire experience has been overwhelming. I have been told over & over that I am very young and there is a good chance I will be fine and that HPV is common and many girls are going through what I am going through. What really frustrates me is that I received a seemingly great sex education through school, peers & parents, yet HPV was never mentioned at all. I have received the Gardisil vaccine, and when I got all three needles I just remember knowing it was helping to prevent cervical cancer. Now I am listening to my gynocologist tell me I have contracted HPV, from unprotected sex AND protected sex, and numerous partners. This article and many more like it need to be in sex education in big capital letters, and young girls particularly need to know that STD’s are scary and you must protect yourself – but CANCER is scarier. I wish I had known all that I know now 4 years ago when I became sexually active. Now I am preparing for an invasive procedure and praying for good health and the ability to have children.
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Good luck with everything Mia, hope all goes well. xx
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Hey Mia, it is scary and everyone is different but when I had CIN3 & adenocarcinoma removed from my cervix earlier this year (age 25) the procedure (I had a ‘cold knife’ instead of a LLETZ) went really well so I hope your experience is the same, best of luck!
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Wishing you all the best Mia. I had a Lletz when my youngest was a newborn – my CIN3 cells came up in my post natal pap. Had paps every six months for the first year or two and then once a year – now back to every second year and all clear. xx
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Hey, this has very recently happened to me too. At my six week post partum check up, abnormal cells showed up, and a colposcopy and biopsy showed they were CIN3. I’ve just had a LLETZ to get them removed. Not an overly pleasant experience, but a necessary one. Knowledge about HPV seems to have only become widespread in the last couple of years, well after I became sexually active, so I didn’t bother with Gardisil. Unfortunately HPV is really just a part of life for the human race right now, but hopefully Gardisil and education will help eradicate it over the coming generations.
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Best of luck Mia, I’ve been through what you have and the whole experience can be overwhelming and scary! I had CIN3 at the age of 20 and had the LLETZ procedure. Since then I have had 1 abnormal smear which has since resolved, but I still continue to have yearly smears even though they’ve told me I can go back to 2yearly (and will for the rest of my life for peace of minds sake!). This shouldn’t affect your ability to have children – now at the age of 30 I have 2 beautiful healthy daughters!
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Oral sex? How unnatural; who would like it? master-mistress and slaves.
Not completely psychologically mature and fresh people anyway. These moderns…they would do anything to stand out…thinking they are sooo…normal.
Grandpa
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So are you saying I don’t have to give blow-jobs anymore? Because I can live with that
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Nooooooooooooooooooo. What an irresponsible article.
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Will it make me rethink my sexual activity? No. I’m old and married with minimal sexual activity.
I think the Australuan scientists who discovered the link between HPV and were behind the vaccine won a Nobel prize. Very well deserved I think.
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bugger. I can’t edit my typos.
*Australian*
*link between hpv and cancer*
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I am 42 and I paid to have the Gardasil vaccine at the recommendation of my gynaecologist, after having CIN 1&2 cells detected in smear tests several years ago. I have had no further CIN readings.
My daughter has received the vaccine in her school’s vaccination program and I will ensure my son has it as well when the time comes.
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Anouk says:
I still don’t really see what any of this has to do with HIV,sorry…
Sex and risk, sexual health and how to maintain it. But appreciate you don’t see the connections, which just supports the need for the post.
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Anouk says: It’s ok Vikki,everything will be just fine.Rest assured,a large number of inhabitants of our lovely planet are informed about the grim reality and facts about STD’s,i trust.
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I will definitely get that vaccine for my daughter when she is a teenager,what a great thing!
But yes,there are many different strains of the virus,and as far as i know the ones that can cause warts aren’t the same ones causing cancer.
Unfortunately i had my own little run in with that particular STD..i .suddenly came up with lumps,after 8 years with the same partner,and 3 years of hard times followed.The Gyno told me it isn’t that unusual for the virus to lie dormant for years,and apparently over 85percent of people will be affected at some time in their life.Just like any other wart virus,the body gets rid of it by itself with time,mostly.
The strains that cause cancer are different,but regular pap smears can pick up changes easily i believe.
This article is not much different to all the ‘news’ in the Sunday paper health section,reporting some ‘new’ study of what food is suddenly causing which cancer…
Personally,i will happily continue giving blow jobs.
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What you write “But yes,there are many different strains of the virus,and as far as i know the ones that can cause warts aren’t the same ones causing cancer” is technically not correct. There are strains of the HPV virus, causing warts, which are associated with cervical cancer later in life. This is why the HPV vaccine was developed in the first place, and the HPV strains in the vaccine are those known to be associated with cancer.
In terms of prevention, it is much better to have the course of three vaccines and not be infected in the first place, than it is to acquire infection and risk requiring management of cervical dysplasia later on. Having looked after young women requiring treatment for precancerous conditions, it can be devastating and the treatment comes with its own set of risks.
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Anonymous, there are approx 40 strains of HPV that can be sexually transmitted.
Gardasil protects against the 4 most common strains; 16, 18, 6, and 11. Two of these strains can cause cancer (but don’t cause warts) and the other 2 types cause warts (but don’t cause cancer). types 16 and 18 can cause cancer (cervical, vaginal, anal, throat, penile cancers) and types 6 and 11 cause anogenital warts .
You can be infected with multiple strains resulting in both warts and increased cancer risk. Or be infected by just one type eg type 18 and never have any warts but still have increased cancer risk.
Vaccinated women still need regular pap tests because they may still become infected with a different strain of HPV that is not covered by Gardasil. Also, 10% of cervucal cancers occur in women who have never been infected by any strain of HPV.
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Anouk says:
HPV,not HIV.
Yes Anouk. Aware of the acronyms. Both sexually transmitted diseases. Given sexual health education and media over past 30 years I remain surprised if not astounded about lack of knowledge. Especially for women of child bearing age.
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I still don’t really see what any of this has to do with HIV,sorry…
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I have a friend who is a nurse. She has been very, very upfront with her daughters about the increased risk of throat cancer, due to unprotected oral sex. Not only on the rise in young women, but also young gay men. Frightening!
She also suggested that there is a linkage between increased access to porn, and the increased expectation of oral sex during sexual contact at a very young age.
We need to educate our kids to protect themselves.
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I’ve been doing a bit of research but am still unclear on this…
I had the vaccine when I was in my early 20′s and a virgin. By virgin, I mean had never even seen a penis, let alone touched one. I was under the impression back then that I wouldn’t need to have a pap smear until I became sexually active.
I’m 25 now and have just started sexual activity, so am planning to get a pap smear in a few months. Please tell me this is correct?! Or should I have had one already?
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Correct. The guidelines are that you should start having Pap smears 2 years after becoming sexually active (or between 18-20, whichever is later).
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“HPV is a very common sexually transmitted…”
One day maybe science will discover cause of sexually transmitted problems…
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HPV is transmitted via skin on skin, meaning even if you wear a condom you can still be exposed as the skin surrounded the ‘bits’ protected still touches. Are you suggesting everyone abstains from sex for their entire life to prevent HPV?
I suggest reading the article and becoming educated about the topic before making sarcastic comments
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I am really surprised that 30 years into the global HIV/AIDS epidemic that anyone is unaware of this? But given people still are, great post
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HPV,not HIV
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I think this is a great step by the government!
I was one of the women who received the free vaccine (in my early 20s) however unfortunately I had already been exposed to HPV. A few months ago I had about half of my cervix removed to eliminate both CIN3 cells and an adenocarcinoma in situ (and I’m only 25).
Kids need to be educated in order to remove the stigma associated with HPV – I don’t recall learning about HPV at highschool with I attended in the 00s!. The only way for someone to truly protect themselves is a lifetime of abstinance so young people need to stop thinking of it as something that only infects people who are sexually unsafe. Protecting future generations through vaccination is a great step tu undertsnading as well as procteing them against the majority of HPV strains.
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Sorry about my typos, there is no editing option appearing unfortunately!
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Im am sorry to hear you have had to endure all of this at such a young age. As I said below, I have had friends in very similar positions. I hope their stories give you some hope, all of them have gone on to carry successful pregnancies despite quite major cervical surgery. I have no Idea if you even want kids or if this a worry for you so I hope you don’t mind me sharing that!
Here’s to healthy “bits” from here on in!
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Thanks Sarah , and here’s to healthy bits for all!
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I am so pleased to see that boys will now be included in this free vaccine, had it not happened by the time my boys were eligible I would have paid for them to receive it. A dear friend of mine recently beat throat cancer, he also has HPV. He happens to be a gay man so no amount of vaccinating girls was ever going to stop him from getting HPV.
I know a number of women who have HPV, we are all to old for the vaccine but I am glad it is around now as many of them have had cervical cancer scares and if we can prevent young women from this then I am all for it. Just like all STD’s it is so important that we educate our young not be complacement. A vaccine is no guarantee and safe sex should always be practicsed.
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Love that you would have paid for your sons to have the vacine, major props!
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So gardisil will only help to prevent cervial cancer but not throat??
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Gardasil protects against 70-80% of HPVs, some of which cause cervical cancee as well as throat, anal, penile etc. It is not exclusive to cervical cancer.
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Wait, so Gardisil is only really effective if administered before sexual contact? Then why were women up to 25 able to get it for free? I recieved the vaccine at 21 on my doctors insistence, was this a waste? And are the only symptoms of HPV genital warts, does an STI test detect it?
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I agree. Why did I bother then? Has the research changed?
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No it wasn’t a waste. You may not have been exposed to it even if you’ve had sex.
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HPV is typically symptom free. Cervical changes caused by HPV are picked up via a PAP test.
It’s important to note that HPV is not the same as the Herpes virus. They are two separate STD’s.
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Absolutely not a waste – there are many many strains of HPV and a pretty large number of people who are sexually active will already be infected with at least one of the strains.
The Gardasil vaccine protects against 4 strains – 16 & 18 which are known to cause the majority of cervical cancer and 6 & 11 which are known to cause the majority of anogenital warts.
Even if you are infected with one strain, it is relatively unlikely that it is one of the strains that Gardasil addresses. Therefore, it is definitely beneficial for everybody who is eligible for the vaccine to have had it!
As others have mentioned already, it is still very important to have regular pap smears because:
a) You might have already been infected with strain 16 or 18 before having the vaccination or
b) There are other strains that can cause abnormal cells in the cervix, not only the ones vaccinated against.
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I had Gardasil not long before I was 25 and it is still worth it – I had abnormal cells in my cervix and had to visit the gyny every 6 months for a few years to keep an eye on them and he told me that it was probably the Gardasil keeping them from turning nasty.
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Not a waste at all! Gardasil protects against several specific strains of the hpv virus (from memory, I think it was 4 strains). Even if you have had sexual contact, you may not have been affected by every strain, and thus it can help protect you in future.
However, if you are vaccinated before sexual contact, you will be protected against all strains gardasil works on.This is why it is encouraged in younger people.
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I have had the Gardasil vaccine, and incurred no side effects from it. I am twenty-one years old, I do not smoke, I am not overweight, I have had four sexual partners and have always engaged in safe sex practices, yet my most recent pap test was returned abnormal. For me, this has definitely made me reevaluate my sexual activity and I try to advocate this to my girlfriends.
The major issue within the Gardasil debate is that complacency has sprung up in many young women who believe that because they have received the Gardasil vaccine they no longer need regular pap tests. Pap tests are able to pick up abnormal cells caused by HPVs and the vaccine does not protect against ALL HPVs so even though you have had the vaccine, you still need to have regular paps.
A friend of mine has a great blog which talks of her experience with cervical cancer, and urges females to have regular pap tests.
http://mylifemystorymyexperience-chelsea.blogspot.com.au/
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Should women in their 40′s be getting immunised too or is it too late if you have already been ‘exposed’ – no pun intended !
And yes it’s great to see a good news story about what the Govt is doing. I actually think Tanya Pilbeseck is fantastic – smart, articulate and attractive ..
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Unfortunately Sarah, if you have already been ‘exposed’ to the HPVs it is fairly likely that the vaccine will not have any effect, however, I would urge to check with a doctor, however from my knowledge no.
I also love Tanya Pilbeseck, I think she is great and a great role model for females.
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nice to see a positive story about the Government doing something good for the community. if only stories like this got more media attention.
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