VACCINE RESOURCE COMMITTEE

of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association

View Full List of Vaccine Questions Here

Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Question #1:

Why do both sexes need the vaccine?

It helps to prevent cancers in both sexes. The predominant concern is cervical cancer but also mouth, throat and anal cancer. 75% of Canadians will have an HPV infection at some time if not immunized.

HPV is very common in females and males. About 75% of sexually active people will get at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. Most of them will never know they’ve been infected because HPV often doesn’t cause any symptoms. This makes it hard to know exactly when or how the virus was spread.

Most HPV infections come and go over the course of a few years. While an HPV infection can’t be treated, the conditions it causes (such as genital warts) can. For most people, the virus will go away in the same way as a common cold virus. HPV that doesn’t go away is what can lead to cancer.

In Canada, about two-thirds of HPV-related cancers happen in areas other than the cervix. 

HPV infection is related to:

  • 80% to 90% of anal cancers

  • 40% of vaginal and vulvar cancers

  • 40% to 50% of penile cancers

  • 25% to 35% of mouth and throat cancers

Most of these cancers are related to high-risk HPV types 16 and 18.

Infection with high-risk HPV can cause cells to change or become abnormal. These changes can lead to cancer. HPV16 and HPV18 are the most common high-risk types and cause 70% of cervical cancers. Infection with high-risk HPV is also linked to cancers of the penis, anus, vulva, vagina, and mouth and throat.

Infection with low-risk HPV doesn’t cause precancerous changes and doesn’t increase the risk of cancer. But low-risk types of HPV can cause genital warts.

The 2 low-risk types of HPV that are responsible for 90% of genital warts are HPV6 and HPV11. Genital warts caused by low-risk types of HPV can appear weeks or months after skin-to-skin sexual contact with an infected person. There are treatments for genital warts. 

The HPV-9 vaccine protects against 9 strains of human papillomavirus that cause up to:

  • 92% of cervical cancers

  • 75% of anal cancers

  • 57% of penile cancers

  • 72% of vaginal cancers

  • 25% of head and neck cancers

  • 90% of genital warts

Alberta Health Services has a vaccine decision tool for people to support information about the HPV vaccine here.

Sources:

Canadian Cancer Society: Who should be vaccinated for HPV?
Alberta Health Services: Human papillomavirus (HPV-9) vaccine