(Ivanhoe Newswire) – The HPV vaccine isn’t just for teens. New research
shows women ages 24 to 45 not already infected with the common sexually
transmitted disease can receive protection against the virus following
vaccination.
Adolescent girls and young women have been the targets for HPV vaccination
efforts. However, a rising age at first marriage, divorce and changing sexual
habits has resulted in an increase in rates of HPV infection among women over
the age of 24. Results of a new study show it’s not too late for women 25 years
or older to receive protection, especially if they have no prior HPV infection.
The vaccine protects against four strains of HPV – 6, 11, 16 and 18 – which
cause genital warts and cervical cancer. In a study of nearly 4,000 women
between the ages of 25 and 45, the vaccine showed 91 percent effectiveness
against all four virus strains. Protection among women with existing HPV
infection was lower at 30 percent, but did offer protection against strains the
patients were not previously exposed to.
SOURCE: The Lancet, 2009
