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Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
Who should have the HPV vaccine?
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Women's Health Queensland Wide provides free health information for Queensland women. View Profile
Girls and women aged nine to 26 should be vaccinated against HPV. The vaccine is most effective when administered at an early age and before the start of sexual activity. It is advisable to be vaccinated even before contemplating early sexual activity as any form of skin to skin sexual contact can transmit the virus. Even girls and women who've had sexual contact should still be vaccinated, as the majority will not yet have been infected by a HPV strain that causes cancer. If a young woman starts sexual activity between doses, the course should still be completed as the effectiveness of the vaccine will only be slightly reduced.
Women over the age of 27 years should talk to their doctor about whether the vaccine is right for them. The more exposure to HPV a person has had (for example, through sexual activity with a person who has HPV), the less effective the vaccine will be, so the benefits of the vaccine may be reduced for this group.
Australian schoolboys will be able to get the Gardasil® vaccine, which will protect them against developing a range of cancers and bolster the effectiveness of this vaccine in women.
Starting next school year, the Government will fund the vaccine for 12 and 13-year-old boys through school-based programs under the National Immunisation Program. Year 9 boys will also be able to get the vaccine at school under a catch-up program for the next two years
Brenda
Women’s Health EducatorHealth Information Line, Women’s Health Queensland Wide Women living in Queensland can also call our Health Information Line - a free information and referral service for Queensland women - on 3839 9988 or 1800 017 676 (toll free outside Brisbane). Please note that all health information provided by Women’s Health Queensland Wide is subject to this disclaimerReport this post
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