Thread by @yffei

During each visit, I always try to talk about the #HPV vaccine if they need it. One mom said, "we don't need that yet, her PCP said she had until age 26 to get it." 🤦‍♀️
Please start as early as possible (age 11-12). I'll tell you why 🧵
#tweetorial #MedTwitter #MedEd #obgyntwitter

#HPV (human papillomavirus) is the most common #STI in the US; 80% of sexually active people will get it. There are 100s of different strains; many asymptomatic, others cause genital warts, abnormal pap smears, and cancer (cervical, vaginal, anal, penile, vulvar, oropharyngeal).

The HPV vaccine (gardasil in the US) protects against the 9 highest risk strains, significantly reducing the risk of cervical dysplasia and the cancers mentioned above. More than 90% of #cervicalcancer is caused by HPV.

The vaccine is recommended for all teens age 11-12 but can start as early as 9. It is more beneficial before teens become sexually active, before they are exposed to any of the protected strains. It is recommended through age 26 but was recently FDA approved for up to age 45.

This 2020 study found a 63% decrease in cervical cancer in vaccinated. This included a 90% reduction for those vaccinated before age 17. This make sense that there is more benefit at younger ages before exposure to these high risk strains.
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

This 2021 study showed reduction rates in cervical cancer of 34% for age 16–18 years, 62% for age 14–16 years, and 87% for age 12–13 years, compared with unvaccinated girls. It also reduced up to 97% of pre-cancer.
thelancet.com/journals/lance…

There are so many myths regarding the HPV vaccine, despite being proven safe for almost two decades. It does not cause infertility or make a teen more likely to have sex. The biggest risk is a sore arm after the shots. Happy to answer any questions about the vaccine. DMs open.

Adding a few tweets to emphasize the importance for all teens, not just girls, to get the #hpv vaccine. Thanks to @bjohnstonmd who pointed out this chart from the CDC showing oropharyngeal are the leading cause of hpv-related cancers, with a huge predominance in males.

80% of sexually active adults have had oral sex so oral HPV is much more common than most of us realize. Oral HPV infection is often asymptomatic and there are no routine screening tests, which makes this hard to detect early. Getting vaccinated helps build needed immunity.