HPV vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years. Some adults age 27 through 45 years who were not already vaccinated might choose to get HPV vaccine after speaking with their doctor about their risk for new HPV infections and possible benefits of vaccination for them.
The HPV vaccine was originally approved for females ages 9 through 26. Now, adults up to age 45 can get vaccinated. U.S. health officials have expanded the recommended age range for people receiving the HPV vaccine to protect against several types of cancer to people in their mid-40s.
Males and females ages 9 to 45 can get the vaccine
In fact, patients 15 and older should receive three shots over the course of six months to receive the same benefit. The bottom line: All males and females ages 9–26 should get the HPV vaccine. It is most effective when given at ages 11–12.
Why Do Women over 45 Have Difficulty Getting Vaccinated with HPV Vaccine? Sometimes, women over 45 have difficulty getting HPV vaccination with Gardasil-9 because insurance coverage is only available up to the recommended age of 45.
Generally, since the vaccine does not treat HPV, it just prevents it, there is less benefit after people become sexually active and have likely been exposed to HPV already. The cost-benefit ratio for vaccinating older adults weighs more to the side of just adding cost, so the CDC does not recommend it,” says Dr.
But women's risk for HPV is not over yet: There is sometimes a second peak around the age of menopause. Why? A study released early in 2013 of women 35 to 60 years old found that HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago.
If you're over 30, your body can still clear HPV, but it's less likely at this point. Your doctor may want to perform more testing, like a Pap (if you didn't get one with your HPV test) to see if you also have abnormal cervical cell changes in addition to a positive HPV test.
But, older women can contract HPV. Although the incidence is smaller than in younger women, one study cited a few possible reasons: Many older women are sexually active, and if they have new sexual relationships later in life, they may be exposed to HPV strains for the first time. Another risk factor is smoking.
Conclusions. It was concluded that whether menopause has nothing to do with HPV infection. Moreover, the risk of high-risk HPV infection in women aged 40 to premenopausal is relatively low, but the infection rate increases after 65. Hence the cutoff screening age should be appropriately prolonged.
Although HPV is a known cause of cervical cancer, the virus can also cause other cancers of the reproductive tract, anal cancer, penile cancer, genital warts, and on occasion, cancers of the head and neck. In fact, about 4 of every 10 cases of HPV-related cancers occur in boys or men.
You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.
To date, protection against infections with the targeted HPV types has been found to last for at least 10 years with Gardasil (18), up to 11 years with Cervarix (17), and at least 6 years with Gardasil 9 (19).
Indicated in girls and women 9 through 45 years of age for the prevention of the following diseases: Cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, oropharyngeal and other head and neck cancers caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.
Some people should not get some HPV vaccines if: They have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any ingredient of an HPV vaccine, or to a previous dose of HPV vaccine. They have an allergy to yeast (Gardasil and Gardasil 9). They are pregnant.
HPV infection spreads from one person to another through sexual contact involving the anus, mouth, or vagina. The virus can be spread, even if you DO NOT see the warts. You may not see warts for 6 weeks to 6 months after becoming infected. You may not notice them for years.
High levels of stress, whether real or perceived, also may make it difficult for the body's natural immune response to kick in and get rid of infection. However, it's also important to note that HPV tests can be dormant for a while, and then show as positive during a highly stressful period of a woman's life.
Psychological stress is an important factor involved in disease manifestations of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and it can participate in HPV-associated carcinogenesis.
The most common are small, hard sores called warts, but not everyone who has HPV gets them. They may be raised, flat, or shaped like a cauliflower, and they can be different sizes. They can show up on your genital area or other places, depending on the type of the virus you have. These warts often go away on their own.
HPV vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years. Some adults age 27 through 45 years who were not already vaccinated might choose to get HPV vaccine after speaking with their doctor about their risk for new HPV infections and possible benefits of vaccination for them.
By age 50, at least 4 out of every 5 women will have been infected with HPV at one point in their lives. HPV is also very common in men, and often has no symptoms.
HPV can clear up naturally – as there is no cure for the underlying HPV infection, the only way to get rid of HPV is to wait for the immune system to clear the virus naturally.
If you've been diagnosed with HPV, you can still lead a relatively normal life. However, you need to protect yourself and any other sexual partners you have as you do so: Use condoms: Using condoms when having sex is essential to reduce the risk of transmitting HPV.
HPV can lie dormant for years
Although the virus often heals on its own, in other cases, it lies dormant in the body and can trigger cancers years after infection. In fact, cervical cancer from HPV commonly takes 10 to 20 years or more to develop.