Prevention of HPV

Can you prevent HPV?

Because the HPV virus is so contagious, total prevention of the HPV virus is not easy.

Abstinence of all sexual contact, even skin-to-skin sexual activity without penetration, is the only way to avoid contracting the HPV virus.

Lifelong monogamy – having one long term sexual partner – is another effective way to avoid contracting the HPV virus.

Limiting the number of partners – the more sexual partners your child has, the higher the risk of contracting HPV.

Using condoms is an excellent prevention strategy for sexually transmitted infections. Condoms may not eliminate completely the risk of transmitting HPV because the virus can be contracted through skin-to-skin contact beyond the covered area. However, condom use is a good risk-reduction strategy and provides excellent protection against other sexually transmitted infections.

Regular Pap testing is the only way to detect abnormal cells in your daughter's cervix that could lead to cervical cancer later in life. A young woman should have a Pap test within three years of becoming sexually active, and then repeat testing every two years.

Vaccines have been developed to prevent your child from contracting the HPV virus and could dramatically help reduce the incidence of HPV-related complications such as genital and anal warts and cervical cancer. Four types of HPV cause the majority of genital warts (types 6 and 11) and most cases of cervical cancer (types 16 and 18). Two vaccines are now available in Canada; one protects against types 16 and 18 and the other against all four types. Speak to your health professionals to see if your child is the right candidate for a vaccine and about their cost and availability.

What can I do to protect my daughter from HPV and cervical cancer?

Getting your daughter vaccinated is the best way to protect her against the four most dangerous types of HPV.

What else can you do? Teach her that abstinence is a choice she can make while she is young. Talk about safe sex and other good sexual health habits so she can choose protect herself against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy.

When the time comes, make sure your daughter has regular Pap tests. Being vaccinated against HPV does not mean she does not need to have regular Pap tests. Doing both will help you protect her from the worst effects of an HPV infection, namely cancer of the cervix.

More information on the vaccine

 

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Did You Know?
If you have a normal Pap test three years in a row, you may have a Pap test every three years until age 70, as long as no abnormalities are detected.

Pap testing is one of the great public-health success stories in Canada. Since widespread testing has been introduced in the 1960s, the incidence of cervical cancer has been reduced by 80%.