Children who haven't already received all their HPV vaccines only need to take two doses instead of three to get protected, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The recommendation is advantageous as it simplifies the entire procedure.
Preteens who started the vaccines before the age of 15 will only be required to administer two doses. According to the specialists, this recommendation will increase the number of people protected from cancer, as less than a third of the population have completed all three dosages. Nonetheless, for patients who started the vaccines after the age of 15, all three doses will be necessary.
While it's recommended to do the vaccine as soon as possible, CDC announced that it's possible to go through the procedure before the age of 26 for women and 21 for men. In terms of effective prevention, it is highly recommended for parents to have their children vaccinated between the ages 11 and 12. However, in the case of men who had sexual intercourse with other men, it's advised to do the vaccines until the age of 26.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause multiple types of cancer varying from cervical, throat and mouth. It is one of the most spread sexually transmitted diseases, and administering the vaccines among younger population could be highly beneficial in reducing cancer rates.
"Safe, effective, and long-lasting protection against HPV cancers with two visits instead of three means more Americans will be protected from cancer. This recommendation will make it simpler for parents to get their children protected in time," CDC Director Tom Frieden said.
Being one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, HPV is contracted by virtually anyone who is sexually active throughout their lives. Vaginal, anal and oral sex are all ways for the virus to be transmitted, and it can be passed even if the infected person has shown no symptoms.
Having sexual intercourse with the same partner does not represent an exclusive guarantee that you will not contract HPV, as symptoms can be developed even years after the sexual contact. Because of the lack of pattern in the symptoms' triggers, it is highly complicated to determine the moment when the virus was contracted, which represents a potential danger for all the sexual partners.
Not all people who contracted HPV had symptoms or serious health issues. However, the ones who did, experienced genital warts and cancer. The virus root causing one of the two issues will not cause the other. In the case of genital warts, the bumps in the genital area are usually easy to spot, and medical treatments are highly recommended. For the virus root causing cancer, it takes years for the symptoms to be triggered. In the off chance that you did not get the vaccines until the age of 26, periodic cancer screenings are recommended.
