Women students will be able to get a new vaccine for prevention of cervical cancer this fall at University Health Services in the Student Health Center.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Gardasil, which is highly effective against four types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), including two that cause most cervical cancers.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S., with more than 20 million men and women currently infected and 6.2 million new infections each year. HPV is most common in men and women in their late teens and early twenties. By age 50, it is estimated that at least 80% of women will have acquired an HPV infection.

Many people refer to HPV as genital warts, but HPV includes over 100 viruses. One-third of these viruses cause genital problems that affect both sexes, such as genital warts on a man’s penis or a woman’s vagina or cervix.  In a small number of women, cell changes in the cervix may be precancerous. Genital warts can appear as small hard spots or have a fleshy cauliflower appearance, but in other cases warts are not visible to the naked eye.

The FDA approved Gardasil for use in girls and women ages 9 through 26, with routine immunization recommended for girls ages 11 and 12 years old. Protection works best when given before a woman becomes sexually active, although it may also benefit women who are already sexually active and even those who already have one of the four types of HPV viruses that cause cervical cancer. As with all vaccines, it may not protect everyone who gets the vaccine and will not protect against types of HPV that are not contained in the vaccine.

Gardasil is given in a series of 3 injections, with dose 2 given 2 months after the first does, and dose 3 given 6 months after the first dose. The most common side effects of the vaccine are pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site, and fever. Women who are allergic to any ingredient in the vaccine or who have an allergic reaction after the first dose should not receive the vaccine.

Each Gardasil injection itself costs $175 plus the visit and injection fees-- three injections are needed. Students may elect to pay the charges at the time of the visit or have the charges added to their student accounts. UHS recommends that students find out ahead of time if their insurance provider will cover all or part of the cost.

Immunizations are available at UHS by calling 863-0774 for an appointment with a nurse.

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