| | Health Topics: STI: GARDASIL
What is GARDASIL and what is it used for?
GARDASIL is a vaccine (injection/shot) that helps protect against the following diseases caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Types in the vaccine (6, 11, 16, and 18):
- Cervical cancer (cancer of the lower end of the uterus or womb)
- Abnormal and precancerous cervical lesions
- Abnormal and precancerous vaginal lesions
- Abnormal and precancerous vulvar lesions
- Genital warts
Who can receive GARDASIL?
- GARDASIL is for girls and women 9 through 26 years of age.
Who should not receive GARDASIL?
- Anyone who is allergic to any of the ingredients in the vaccine.
- Anyone who has an allergic reaction after getting a dose of the vaccine.
How is GARDASIL given?
- GARDASIL is given as an injection.
You will receive 3 doses of the vaccine. Ideally the doses are given as:
- First dose: at a date you and your health care professional choose.
- Second dose: 2 months after the first dose.
- Third dose: 6 months after the first dose.
- Make sure that you get all 3 doses. This allows you full benefits of GARDASIL.
What should you tell a health care provider before you are vaccinated with GARDASIL?
- If you have had an allergic reaction to the vaccine.
- If you have a bleeding disorder and cannot receive injections in the arm.
- If you have a weakened immune system, for example, due to a genetic defect or HIV infection.
- If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant. GARDASIL is not recommended for use in pregnant women.
- If you have any illness with a fever more than 100°F (37.8°C) and
- What type of medications you regularly take, including over-the-counter medications.
Your health care professional will help you decide if you should receive the vaccine.
What are the possible side effects of GARDASIL?
- GARDASIL has been shown to be well tolerated in women and girls as young as 9 years of age.
- The most commonly reported side effects are:
- Pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site and fever
- Difficulty breathing has been rarely reported.
What are the ingredients in GARDASIL?
- The main ingredients are purified inactive proteins that come from HPV types 6, 11, 16 & 18. This is not a live virus.
- It also contains sodium chloride, L-histidine amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, sodium borate, polysorbate 80 and water for injection.
What other key information about GARDASIL should you know?
- Vaccination does not substitute for routine pap tests. Women who receive
- GARDASIL should continue having pap tests
- GARDASIL will not protect against diseases due to non-vaccine HPV types. There are more than 100 HPV types; GARDASIL helps protect against 4 types (6, 11, 16, and 18). These 4 types have been selected for GARDASIL because they cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts
- This vaccine will not protect you against HPV types to which you may have already been exposed
- GARDASIL also will not protect against other diseases that are not caused by HPV
- GARDASIL works best when given before you have any contact with certain types of HPV (i.e., HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18)
- As with all vaccines, GARDASIL may not fully protect everyone who gets the vaccine
Will GARDASIL help you if you already have Human Papillomavirus?
You may benefit from GARDASIL if you already have HPV. This is because most people are not infected with all four types of HPV contained in the vaccine. In clinical trials, individuals with current or past infection with one or more vaccine-related HPV types prior to vaccination were protected from disease caused by the remaining vaccine HPV types. GARDASIL is not intended to be used for treatment for the above mentioned diseases. Talk to your health care provider for more information.
What are cervical cancer, precancerous lesions, and genital warts?
Cancer of the cervix is a serious disease that can be life-threatening. This disease is caused by certain HPV types that can cause the cells in the lining of the cervix to change from normal to precancerous lesions. If these are not treated, they can turn cancerous.
Genital warts are caused by certain types of HPV. They often appear as skin-colored growths. They are found on the inside or outside of the genitals. They can hurt, itch, bleed, and cause discomfort. These lesions are usually not precancerous. Sometimes, it takes multiple treatments to eliminate these lesions.
Condoms and other forms of latex offer some protection against genital warts. The virus may shed beyond the area protected by the latex. Smokers more than non-smokers are more likely to develop genital warts. If infected, smokers have more reoccurrences of the genital warts.
What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
HPV is a common virus. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 20 million people in the United States had this virus. There are many different types of HPV; some cause no harm. Others can cause diseases of the genital area. For most people the virus goes away on its own. When the virus does not go away it can develop into cervical cancer, precancerous lesions, or genital warts, depending on the HPV type. See "What other key information about GARDASIL should I know?"
Who is at risk for HPV?
In 2005, the CDC estimated that at least 50% of sexually active people catch HPV during their lifetime. A male or female of any age who takes part in any kind of sexual activity that involves genital contact is at risk. Many people who have HPV may not show any signs or symptoms. This means that they can pass on the virus to others and not know it.
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