There are more than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV ), a common viral infection that usually causes warts , but some types of HPV can cause cancers of the cervix , anus , penis, vagina , vulva , and throat .
This type of infection is usually transmitted sexually or through other skin-to-skin contact. Vaccines may help protect against strains of human papilloma virus (HPV), which are most likely to cause genital warts or cancer.
If you have a preteen, make sure he or she gets the HPV vaccine now , which can prevent cancer later in life , says Nippuni Rajapaksa, MD , a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic .
Sitting at a health care provider’s office can be scary for anyone, especially for a child waiting to get a vaccine. But not as scary as HPV.
“The scary thing about this virus is that it can cause cancer,” says Dr. Rajapaksa.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection , affecting around 85% of people at some point in their lives.
The vaccine is recommended for boys and girls at ages 11 and 12. The vaccine can be given during a visit to healthy children.
“It is best to vaccinate children before they are exposed to this virus. Once infected with the virus, the vaccine is no longer effective in preventing infection with the strain of the virus that you have.”
Dr. Rajapaksa adds that the vaccine can be given to children at the age of 9 and adults up to the age of 45 .
“It is really a very effective and safe vaccine, and it is unique in that it is a vaccine that prevents cancer.”
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Media contact:
Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Public Relations Officer, newsbureau@mayo.edu
