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Sheryl M. Ness, R.N.
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Sheryl M. Ness, R.N.
Sheryl M. Ness
Sheryl Ness, R.N., O.C.N., is a nurse educator for the Cancer Education Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She helps inform patients, families and caregivers about services and resources to help them through the cancer journey.
She has a master's degree in nursing from Augsburg College. In addition, she is an assistant professor of oncology at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and is certified as a specialist in oncology nursing. Sheryl has worked for more than 20 years at Mayo Clinic as an educator. She has a keen interest in the importance of the quality of life and concerns of people living with cancer.
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Living with cancer blog
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Aug. 21, 2012
HPV vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer
By Sheryl M. Ness, R.N.
You've probably heard about a cervical cancer prevention vaccine, also called the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The vaccine protects against the virus that causes almost all cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women. If you're a parent with daughters or young woman considering the vaccine, here are a few facts about HPV and the vaccine:
- HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus.
- The HPV vaccine protects against 70 percent of the virus types that cause cervical cancer.
- Most women will get HPV at some point during their lives — by age 50 around 80 percent of women have had the virus.
- HPV usually causes little or no symptoms.
- HPV can also cause warts, genital warts, and other cancers — such as the vagina, anus, and cancers of the head and neck.
- The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls at around age 11 or 12, and is also recommended for young women aged 13-26.
- It's important to still see your healthcare provider for regular pelvic exams and pap tests even if you have received the vaccine.
The concept behind this vaccine is to deliver protection from the virus before young women become sexually active. The vaccine is given through an injection in the arm or thigh as a series of three injections over a period of around six months. The best protection against HPV is provided after all three shots are given.
The HPV vaccine is generally covered by health insurance plans. Coverage for those without insurance can also be obtained through the federal Vaccines for Children program. The HPV vaccine is also recommended for boys and young men age 11-26 to prevent genital warts and infection with the virus.
As with all newer vaccines, there are a few unknowns. The FDA and other agencies are closely monitoring reported side effects for any problems. However, to date, only minor (expected) side effects have been reported — most common are pain at the injection site, fever, dizziness and fainting. Also unknown is how long the vaccine protection lasts. This is being studied and reported on an ongoing basis.
For more about vaccines and cancer, check out MayoClinic.com or the NCI website (www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/cancer-vaccines).
How do you feel about the HPV vaccine? Share your opinions on this topic and follow me on Twitter at @SherylNess1. Join the discussion at #livingwithcancer.
5 comments posted
May 15, 2013 8:32 p.m.
Another reason for vaccine use is to prevent recurrent respiratory pappiloma in infants. Contacted via birth canal or inuterio from mother with Hpv subtype #6#11#31
- Ann
September 4, 2012 8:51 a.m.
I would like to address the comments on the safety of this vaccine. Safety is indeed carefully monitored and reported(very closely). For those interested in reading reports about the safety and monitoring, including any side effects of the vaccine, the CDC website has all data to date listed at this site http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/HPV
/Index.html - Sheryl Ness
August 31, 2012 2:56 p.m.
Why not call it what it is? Gardasil. The one with inadequate testing and horrific side effects. (I have spoken with a patient who was repeatedly hospitalized.) It is alarming to read an article from Mayo Clinic that states it causes little or no symptoms. To say only minor (expected) side effects have been reported is false. It is common knowledge that the side effects cause paralysis or worse.
- Marcy
August 26, 2012 6:47 a.m.
Gardasil - Ask about all these unanswered questions: Whether it prevents cancer, necessity for boosters, whether it increases risk of cancer, whether there is increased risk of cancer due to the of gene manipulated HPV DNA, whether Gardasil vaccinated may safely donate blood,increased risk of autoimmune disorders due to the recombinant HPV DNA, if HPV is necessarily an infection transmitted by sexual intercourse, whether it causes genotoxicity, whether it targets the relevant virus strains in different demographics, whether the strains change in the course of time, adverse events due to concomitant administration with other vaccines, true numbers of longterm serious adverse events, what results would be if a true placebo had been used in all the clinical trials, what results of clinical trials would be if Merck had not used own exclusion criteria, whether there is increased risk of blood clots when Gardasil is combined with hormonal contraceptive pills, increased risk of brain damage, consequences of “bridging”,risk of infertility,stillbirths, babies born with anomalies etc etc etc etc.
- Mindanoiha
August 23, 2012 8:02 p.m.
kindly clarify that Youtube post on injection HPV effects is false or true on the paralysis(CNS)& eventually DEATH? Is vy scary & frightening even think of getting immunized. TQ
- mun
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