Photo: Pexels / Anna Tarazevich
The HPV campaign for young people aged nineteen and older has started. At the beginning of this year, more than 1.3 million young adults will receive an invitation for a vaccination against it human papillomavirus. It concerns about 900,000 men and 400,000 women aged nineteen to 27.
Young adults born between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2003 who want to protect themselves against HPV can schedule an appointment at the GGD Zaanstreek – Waterland from www.hpvafspraak.nl. For good and long-term protection, two vaccinations are required, with an interval of six months. The HPV vaccinations for this age group are free this year only. In our region, approximately 25,000 young adults receive the letter.
Where and when?
In Zaanstad, the permanent injection location is in the Active building at Industrieweg 10 in Assendelft, from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. There are also pop-up locations in the Zeskanter community center at Nieuwendamstraat 2C in Zaandam (every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.), in the Sultan Ahmet mosque at Poelenburg 156 in Zaandam (every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. :45 a.m.; not wheelchair accessible) and in community center De Vuister at Molenwerf 44 in Koog aan de Zaan (every Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.). Wormernese can go to community center Westertil at Kemphaanstraat 1A, on Wednesdays from 11:00 to 17:45. Bring the invitation and proof of identity (passport, ID or driver’s license) to the appointment.
Unknown
Young people are not or hardly familiar with the virus, even though it is very contagious: eight out of ten people become infected with HPV one or more times in their lives. This way they can infect someone else without knowing it. HPV can cause cancer in the mouth and throat, penis, anus, vagina, labia, and cervix. The vaccination protects against these six types of cancer and was offered to boys for the first time in 2022 in addition to girls.
HPV can be contracted through sexual intercourse, during sex, or when you hug or touch each other in intimate places. The virus spreads through hands, fingers, mouth, penis and vagina. Condoms therefore do not fully protect against HPV.
