You’ve seen the posters, but have you done your own research?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause various cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, anus, and mouth. HPV is also associated with anal and genital warts.
According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, HPV is very common. In North America, 70 per cent of people will have an HPV infection in their lifetime, with the highest prevalence occurring in adults between 20 to 24 years of age.
Due to HPV typically being asymptomatic (shows no symptoms) and the lack of widely available HPV diagnostics, many people don’t know when they have HPV, which can accelerate the spread.
Luckily, there is a vaccine that protects against many HPV strains and reduces the risk of HPV-related cancers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that “HPV causes 33,700 [cases of] cancers” each year, but the HPV vaccine can prevent approximately 31,200 cases from developing. The Canadian Paediatric Society states that the latest vaccine covers 90 per cent of genital warts and 85 to 90 per cent of cancers associated with the anus and genital organs.
The Canadian Paediatrics Society warns that “without vaccination, it is likely that most sexually active Canadians will have an HPV infection at some point in their lives.”
The vaccine involves two to three doses over a period of up to 12 months. The vaccine is most effective when the whole dose is given at the right time, especially when given before an individual becomes sexually active.
The vaccine has been approved for females in Canada since 2006. Between 2007 and 2010, all provinces implemented programs to administer the vaccine. The grade level in which the vaccine is administered varies per province, but in Ontario the vaccine is currently administered in Grade 7.
In 2010 the vaccine was approved for males, and Ontario now vaccinates everyone who agrees in Grade 7.
In the 2016-2017 school year, 59 per cent of 12-year-old females and 53 per cent of 12-year-old males had been vaccinated while 72 per cent of 12-year-old females and 67 per cent of 12-year-old males had gotten at least part of the vaccine. If you have not had the vaccine, you may still be able to get vaccinated. The vaccine is recommended for females between the ages of 9 and 45 and males between the ages of 9 and 26. The Canadian Paediatrics Society recommends catching up if you do not have the full vaccine.
Like any vaccine there are public concerns, but the Canadian Cancer Society and the CDC state that the vaccine is safe and continuously monitored for effectiveness. Side effects are minor, and may include pain at the point of injection, fever, headaches, and nausea.
Another concern that has been addressed is the belief that those who get the vaccine will become sexually active shortly thereafter. This is not the case. The Canadian Paediatrics Society states that those who have received the vaccine are no more likely to be sexually active, do not engage in sex earlier, and do not engage in riskier sexual behaviour than those who don’t get vaccinated.