headerimage
Gardasil Vaccinations against Cervical Cancer

On average, 21 women die of cervical cancer each week in the UK, with a total of 1,100 each year

This is despite the fact that we have an NHS cervical screening program where women are invited for a cervical smear test every 3 years between the ages of 25 and 49, and every 5 years between 50 and 64.

Effective screening of any sort relies on the fact that a problem is detectable before it becomes serious, using a straightforward test. It’s important that there aren’t too many false alarms or false reassurances and there needs to be a successful treatment available which prevents advancement of the disease. There would be no point testing for it otherwise!

The current screening system in the UK relies on women attending when they are invited. If they miss a test and then have a test which is believed to be normal, when in fact it is not, then 6 or 10 years may pass before a problem is detected.

In many countries women are offered smear tests yearly, this may be too often. A lot of women would feel reassured by having more frequent smears but this could also cause more anxiety because minor abnormalities may revert to normal between three yearly smears. At DOCTORnow we use an advanced method of smear taking and processing which will reduce the need to repeat smears.

It is now known that cervical cancer is caused by a common virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual activity. Approximately 80% of sexually active women become infected with HPV at some point. Luckily most infections are cleared by the body’s natural defences.

There are many types of HPV (also known as the wart virus) and ironically the types that cause genital warts (6 and 11) are not the same types that cause most cases of cervical cancer (16 and 18).

GARDASIL is a vaccine that may help guard against diseases caused by HPV types 6,11,16 and 18. At the moment it is recommended for girls and women aged between 9 and 26. Like other vaccines it is used to prevent illness, so works if given before contact with the viruses. However, because there are so many types of HPV it is still worth having even if there is a history of past infection because it is unlikely that you have been infected with all 4 types. GARDASIL is given as 3 injections over 6 months.

So, in essence, although there are some very sad statistics concerning cervical cancer, there is hope with the development of the HPV vaccine and improved cervical screening techniques. Both are available at DOCTORnow. If you have any questions please come in for a chat.