HPV
Medications
Related eMedTV
Health Channels

What Is the HPV Vaccine Used For?

Some people may wonder, "What is the HPV vaccine used for?" The HPV vaccine is used to help prevent infections from specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV), including HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. These four types of HPV were chosen because they cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. Keep in mind that although the vaccine can help prevent these conditions, it cannot cure or treat them.

 

What Is the HPV Vaccine Used For?

Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Types 6, 11, 16, and 18 Recombinant Vaccine (Gardasil®) is a vaccine that has been licensed to treat conditions caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV for short). Specifically, the HPV vaccine is used to protect against the following conditions caused by HPV:
 
  • Cervical cancer
  • Abnormal or precancerous cervical lesions
  • Abnormal or precancerous vaginal lesions
  • Abnormal or precancerous vulvar lesions
  • Genital warts.
     
The HPV vaccine is approved for use in girls and women ages 9 to 26.
 

What Is HPV?

Human papillomavirus is a very common type of virus, infecting over 20 million people in the United States. There are actually over 100 types of HPV. For over 30 types, HPV transmission occurs through sexual contact, making it one of the most common types of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In fact, 50 percent of sexually active people catch HPV during their lifetime.
 
HPV symptoms will depend on which HPV virus a person is infected with. Some types of HPV cause no symptoms, while others may cause warts (skin-colored growths) on the hands or feet. Other HPV types cause genital warts or cervical cancer.
 
Treatment for conditions caused by HPV may include removal of the warts or cancerous cells. However, there is currently no HPV treatment that will prevent the virus from causing problems in the future.
 
The HPV vaccine is a vaccine that was designed to prevent infection with specific types of HPV. This includes HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. These four types of HPV were chosen because they cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts.
 
Keep in mind that the HPV vaccine is not an HPV cure or treatment. It is used for prevention. However, because a human papillomavirus infection cannot be cured, HPV prevention is very important.
(What Is the HPV Vaccine Used For? Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;