Polotsk Zonal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology

Oct

Cervical canceris a malignant tumor of the cervix that is caused by the human papillomavirus(HPV).

Thisheavydisease. Every two days in Belarus, five women fall ill with cervical cancer, and every day one woman dies from this disease.

How does HPV infection occur?The human papillomavirus is very common and, when you become an adult, it can be passed on to you through sexual contact with someone who is already infected with the virus, or you can become infected through lesions on the skin and mucous membranes.

8 out of 10 men or women will be infected with one or more types of HPV at some point in their lives.

Usually people don't even know they are infected with the virus. If a person has a strong immune system, it will kill the virus, but the immune system is not always able to cope with the virus.

Therefore, it is so important to help your immunity and get vaccinated against HPV infection, which reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer by more than 70%.

Vaccine against HPV infectionwill protect you from the two most dangerous types of HPV – 16 and 18. But it will not be able to protect you from other types, so when you become an adult, like every woman, you will have to regularly visit a gynecologist and undergo examinations.

When should you get vaccinated against HPV infection?

Every girl under 15 years old should be vaccinated against HPV infection.

For best protection, you will need two shots spaced 6 months apart.

Before vaccination, a medical professional obtain the consent of one of your parents to carry it out. Vaccination can be done at school or at a clinic. The doctor will conduct a physical examination and give permission for vaccination. The nurse will give you an injection in your shoulder.

You will need to sit near the treatment (medical) room for 30 minutes so that the doctor and nurse make sure that you feel well and can go for a walk or to class.

It is normal to experience tenderness, redness and/or swelling at the injection site, or to experience a headache and fever. Such reactions usually last 1-3 days and disappear without leaving a trace, without taking any medications.

Your parents care about your health!

Vaccination will protect you for many years from the most dangerous human papillomaviruses.