As I'm transmitting this information to you, and have no medical credentials, I urge you all to talk to your doctor about Gardasil and HPV if you have any questions. I'm not trying to give you health advice, nor express any opinion about the vaccine. I simply want to give you a quick summary of what was discussed in the meeting today.
1. What is HPV?
I'm going to refer you to Healthwise, via the YUHS site for this one. You should be able to find any basic information you need about the virus. Also, feel free to ask your doctor if you have questions; Yale Health Online is an easy and secure way to do this.
The main points you should know are that there are some strains of HPV that can cause cervical and anal cancers. Transmission of these cancer-causing strains can occur via either vaginal or anal intercourse, so both men and women should be aware of the virus and should talk with their doctor if they believe they have or could be exposed to the virus. There are no visible symptoms for some strains -- particularly those responsible for cervical and anal cancers -- so if you're not sure whether you could have been exposed to the virus, talk to your doctor.
2. How common is it?
About 1 in 4 women in the US have been exposed to at least one strain of HPV. It is the most common STD in the US, and can affect both males and females. I haven't found any studies that have documented the infection rate in males, but I would expect that it's fairly consistent across the US population.
3. Does Gardasil (the HPV vaccine) protect against all the strains of HPV?
No, but it protects against the four most common strains (6, 11, 16, and 18). Strains 16 and 18 are traced to something like 70% of all cervical cancer cases in the US. Strains 6 and 11 cause ~90% of all cases of genital warts in the US.
Some studies have suggested that the vaccine actually protects against more strains of HPV, but this is not being advertised quite yet.
4. Who should consider getting the vaccine?
The FDA has officially approved this vaccine for women ages 9-26. This age range may be increased quite soon; the current recommendation was simply based on studies that showed that the US population as a whole benefited most from this vaccine if they received it between those ages.
If you don't fall within this age group, or are male, ask your doctor about whether the vaccine would be appropriate for you anyway. I'm not sure that all the health plan doctors and nurses using uniform guidelines for recommending the vaccine, so if you feel you should receive the vaccine, don't be afraid to speak up for yourself and ask for a second opinion.
5. Are there any side effects?
As of now, the only known side effect is that the shots hurt a bit. According to Dr. Perlotto, Chief of Student Medicine at YUHS, all studies that he knows of have shown that this vaccine is quite safe, and surprisingly effective.
6. How much does it cost?
As of now, the vaccine consists of a series of 3 shots. For each shot, expect to pay $165 at YUHS. If you have Prescription Plus, you are covered for all but 20% of this cost after you meet your $100 deductible. If you don't have Prescription Plus, you might consider asking Planned Parenthood how much the vaccine is (my suggestion, not YUHS's).
7. If you've already been exposed to HPV, should you still consider getting the vaccine?
Yes. You may be able to protect yourself from other strains. Studies have shown that the vaccine is still effective in these cases.
8. If you get the vaccine, can you skip your annual exams?
That'd be nice, but no, you should still continue getting an annual pap exam. The vaccine does not protect against all cancer causing strains, so it's better to be careful. Cervical cancer is easy to treat if caught early enough, so don't put off your annual appointment!
If you have any other questions, post a comment below. I will try to add to the FAQ if people need more information about HPV or Gardasil.
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