Human Papilomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Facts
Camryn Chrisman, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, provides information about the importance of the HPV vaccine
"I believe that this (vaccine) is the greatest advancement we will see in my medical career," says Camryn Chrisman, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Health System. Physicians like Chrisman have enthusiastically welcomed the arrival of a vaccine to prevent the types of genital human papilomavirus (HPV) that cause the majority of cases of cervical cancer and genital warts.
Chrisman strongly agrees with the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics which recommend universal vaccination for girls 11-12 and encourages females age 13-26 to get the vaccine.
In 2006 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the vaccine (Gardasil) for females ages 9 to 26. The vaccine is given in three shots over a six month period.
Gardasil only protects against four of the 100 types of HPV. Clinical studies have shown Gardasil is nearly 100% effective against the four types, and those four HPV strains are thought to be responsible for more than 95 percent of genital warts cases and more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
Chrisman is concerned about the amount of misinformation about the vaccine that keeps some girls and women from receiving the vaccine. She reminds her patients, that while Gardasil is relatively new in the United States there are years of studies from its use in Europe.
Studies based on mathematical models predict that the vaccine could reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by 70% or more. Chrisman points out that since it is a young population who is getting vaccinated it may be decades before there is statistical evidence to show the impact of the vaccine.
Chrisman urges females to take advantage of the opportunity to protect themselves or their daughters. She says, "I have taken care of women with cervical cancer. It (cervical cancer treatment) is a very difficult, painful process for the women and their families. I encourage women to take every possible step to protect themselves."
Find out more by visiting the Centers for Disease Control web site and talking to your health care provider.
The University of Michigan Health System Women's Health Resource Center offers free health information. Ask your questions online or by phone: 734-936-8886.
