Prevention of cancer in women. HPV vaccination
Every year, about 6 million people are infected with the human papillomavirus, and, according to WHO, this figure has increased tenfold over the past decade. This rapid growth is primarily due to the peculiarities of sexual life.
Yesterday's and today's women are very different in their reproductive behavior – in the number of births, pregnancies, abortions. If earlier people gave birth often, and abortions were rarely performed, then in modern women, on the contrary, there are few births, and there are many abortions. She also has a lot of sexual partners. This leads to changes in the mucous membrane of the reproductive tract, and also contributes to the penetration of the virus and its reproduction. Smoking also increases the risk of disease. Nicotine and its metabolic products are tropic to the epithelium of the lower genital tract, they act on the cells as a carcinogen.
There is evidence that HPV can be transmitted to the child during the passage of the birth canal, and then papillomatosis can occur – a very rare and serious disease. But still, the main route of transmission of infection is sexual. Especially in young people.
By the way, the human papillomavirus is not a purely female disease. Men also suffer from it, but most importantly, they can be carriers of this infection. And as a result of infection, problems arise in a woman: various pathologies of the cervix, including precancerous conditions and various forms of cancer.
How to protect yourself
Fortunately, recently, women have a reliable way to protect themselves (and their daughter) from these problems – preventive vaccination. Today, two vaccines are used, but their effect does not cover all types of human papillomavirus, of which there are more than a hundred. Twenty of them are responsible for the development of papillomavirus infection, and cancer can cause about 15 viruses. There are high-oncogenic‑these are types 16, 18, 45, and low-oncogenic-types 6 and 11, which cause only benign lesions. In our country, as in all of Europe, the most common types are the 16th and 18th, and a vaccine has been created against them. And the other, tetravalent, is also used against the 6th and 11th types.
However, there is already some data on the effectiveness of existing vaccines. According to Australian data, as a result of vaccination, which has been carried out since 2007, the number of warts (or anogenital warts – dense growths on the skin or mucous membranes of the genitals) has decreased by more than 90%. And the number of precancerous diseases of the cervix decreased by 36%.
Vaccination for my daughter
Doctors recommend getting an HPV vaccination before the girl begins to live a sexual life. Ideally - at the age of 9-12 years. This way, you can eliminate the risk of developing this infection. Nevertheless, this vaccination is also relevant for an adult woman under 45 years of age.
Many data suggest that even if there is already a disease associated with HPV, thanks to vaccination, it will be easier to proceed. Vaccines increase immunity, promote the production of antibodies. In some patients with primary infection, the virus degrades itself under the influence of the immune system. In addition, the vaccines do not contain a live virus, so they are safe and infection can not occur.
This vaccination is also indicated for men. However, the age range for vaccination is much lower-from 9 to 26 years.
In our country, there is no HPV vaccine in the National Vaccination Calendar, although doctors hope that it will be included there over time. In the meantime, this procedure is paid, carried out at the request of women.
