What you need to know about human papillomavirus

The Food and Drug Administration has recently extended the use of the HPV vaccine to people aged 27 to 45 years.

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is sexually transmitted and gets its name from the warts (papillomas) that certain types of HPV can cause, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention.

According to the CDC, about 14 million people – men and women – are infected with HPV each year and most of them never know it. About 12,000 women are diagnosed and about 4,000 die from cervical cancer caused by some HPV viruses. HPV viruses are also associated with many other forms of cancer in both men and women.

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In most cases, HPV disappears on its own, according to the CDC. But if it does not, it can cause genital warts and even cancer.

HPV cancer usually has no symptoms until its advanced stage, it is very serious and difficult to treat, says the CDC. This is why vaccination and screening are important.

The HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, had previously been recommended for children aged 9 to 26 years. According to cancer.gov, Gardasil 9 is the only HPV vaccine available in the United States.

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The FDA's approval of vaccine expansion is based on a study of 3,200 women aged 27 to 45 years. The study showed that Gardasil was 88% effective "in preventing a combined endpoint of persistent infection, genital warts, vulvar and vaginal precancerous lesions, precancerous cervical lesions and cancers. cervix related to the types of HPV covered by the vaccine, "said the FDA. in a press release.

"Today's approval represents an important opportunity to contribute to the prevention of HPV-related diseases and cancers in a broader age group," said Peter Marks, MD, Ph.D., director of FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that HPV vaccination before being infected with the types of HPV covered by the vaccine could prevent more than 90% of these cancers, or 31,200 cases each year , to develop oneself".

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The vaccine will not work on HPV strains that are already infecting someone, but it can prevent the person from getting the other strains. That's why the FDA recommends the vaccine for preadolescents and teens not yet sexually active.