Human Papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the main risk factor for cervical cancer and genital condylomatosis . Today, you can fight in advance thanks to the vaccine designed by Harald Zur Hausen, 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine, which revolutionized the approach to cancer prevention. Vaccination strengthens the immune system's defenses and protects against infection by HPV strains most frequently implicated in the development of precancerous lesions, tumors and warts.
The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and young women aged 9 to 26 years. In Italy, vaccination is recommended and free for girls during their 12th year of life, as they are supposed to have not yet started their sexual activity. The efficacy of vaccination decreases in women who have already had sexual intercourse, that is in the case of a previous HPV exposure.
The available products are of two types: the bivalent vaccine, or active against the types 16 and 18 of the virus considered the most dangerous, and the quadrivalente, which also prevents infections derived from types 6 and 11 of the virus. Complete vaccination involves the administration of 3 pulsed intramuscular injections over 6 months. It is however necessary to remember that the vaccine, although being the most effective weapon to prevent cervical cancer, does not cover all oncogenic viral types: screening is therefore also necessary for vaccinated women.
