You might have heard of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to cervical cancer.
You might not know that HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, nor that the HPV vaccine is highly effective at preventing cancer.
Cervical cancer screening, specifically, remains an important prevention and detection tool that is recommended for all women.
But we need more than the vaccine to protect girls and women from this preventable infectious disease and the cancer it can cause. Because—while a vaccine for HPV exists—the World Health Organization (WHO) has a long way to go to achieve their goal of 90% vaccination worldwide by 2030 in all girls prior to turning 15.
As with all vaccines, barriers to distribution exist—such as vaccine storage and access to injections. Barriers to uptake include hesitancy due to real and perceived risks. And, as with all vaccines, the HPV vaccine is effective against only half of the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. Undoubtedly, women will need a booster for continued protection.
Diane M. Harper, professor of Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology, recently outlined the road to cervical cancer elimination, and the path is about more than vaccines.
Cervical cancer screening, specifically, remains an important prevention and detection tool that is recommended for all women at varying intervals throughout the course of life.