The Importance of HPV Vaccination for Cervical Cancer Prevention

Cervical cancer (CCU) is one of the main public health problems worldwide and in our country it is the second most frequent gynecological cancer, after breast cancer, for which reason the British Hospital promotes primary prevention through vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) before the age of 15, the optimal time to receive it.

Its administration is also encouraged by those between the ages of 16 and 26 who have not received it, since there are also proven benefits in this age group, in line with the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization.

“The aim is to stimulate prevention, reduce the circulation of the virus and thereby reduce the risk of HPV lesions,” said Dr. Luciana Bertolino, associate professor of the Gynecology Clinic at the Udelar Faculty of Medicine, president of the Society of Pathology of the Lower Genital Tract, Cytology and Colposcopy of Uruguay and a reference for the British Hospital in the specialty.

Bertolino affirmed that 90% of the Uruguayan population is going to have the HPV virus at some point in their lives, as is the case with the world population, in the vast majority of cases without knowing it, and recalled that those who tested as the Papanicolaou detect, lesions produced by the virus and not the virus.

He distinguished that there are different types of HPV that cause lesions in the cervix and differentiated low-grade lesions from high-grade lesions, the latter being those that can evolve into cervical cancer if not treated promptly.

The specialist advocated for a greater coverage of the vaccine, given that the progress of vaccination in the population is still very slow, and everyone should work to increase the rate of the vaccinated population.

“Cervical cancer is one of the main public health problems worldwide and our country does not escape this reality despite the prevention efforts made, we must increase adherence to the HPV vaccine, perform regular gynecological check-ups with the screening of the cervix according to the recommendations of the MSP”, pointed out Bertolino.

“This is a preventable cancer where primary prevention is the fundamental pillar and vaccines are considered one of the most effective interventions,” he argued. And he maintained that “the application of vaccines since 2006 has shown that they are safe and effective in preventing HPV infection and the development of premalignant lesions.”

Bertolino recalled that Uruguay has “a high-quality vaccination scheme”, which allowed the country to stand out in the fight against the COVID pandemic, and celebrated the fact that in 2019 the quadrivalent HPV vaccine was incorporated in both women and men from the age of 11.

In 2020, the WHO proposed the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem for the decade 2021-2030. One of the pillars is primary prevention, achieving 90% coverage with the HPV vaccine in all women before the age of 15.

Its administration beyond the age of 15 is also beneficial, since it improves the window of opportunity, and in men it not only protects them from injuries, but also helps to reduce the circulation of the virus in the population.

Bertolino argued that “in recent years coverage has improved in our country, but it is still low and there is still some resistance to getting vaccinated,” despite the fact that access to vaccines is universal and free in our country.

“Adherence to the vaccine must improve, we must try to achieve what the country achieved with other vaccines and for this, doctors must indicate vaccination to children, adolescents and young people,” Bertolino summarized.

The specialist indicated that the initiative that she leads from the British Hospital aims to install “a culture of prevention” and insisted that the benefits will be greater if the person is vaccinated before the age of 15.

Bertolino obtained, together with Dr. María Noel Pérez, in November 2022, the first prize at the Uruguayan Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics with a work carried out at the British Hospital on patients with HPV from 2017 to 2020.

2023-07-06 07:02:46
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