Gardicil only vaccinates against a few forms of HPV. I can’t remember if all the forms of HPV it works on are sexually transmitted or not.
One risk of Gardicil is the “implied protection” risk. Someone get’s a vaccine, assumes they are good to go, and forgoes testing that would catch HPV or cancer.
So the recommendation is to still do the exact same tests whether or not you take the drug. And since most HPV is detectable and treatable, and most cervical cancer is detectable and treatable, the fact that Gardicil would prevent some forms of HPV isn’t as big a deal as it first seems.
If everybody got the yearly exams that are recommended, Gardicil probably wouldn’t save enough extra people to be worth the risk.
Gardasil protects against HPV types 16 and 18 which cause 70% of all cervical cancers. It also prevents types 6 and 11 which cause 90% of genital warts. All four types are sexually transmitted.
One risk of Gardicil is the “implied protection” risk. Someone get’s a vaccine, assumes they are good to go, and forgoes testing that would catch HPV or cancer.
This is a legitimate concern and will require patient counseling and education.
If everybody got the yearly exams that are recommended, Gardicil probably wouldn’t save enough extra people to be worth the risk.
30% of women who develop cervical cancer in this country are screened regularly. The Pap Smear is not perfect. And, of course, many women are not screened as they should be.