Estimates indicate that there are 16.84 million women over the age of 15 years who are at risk of cancer of the cervix. Black women are the most at risk of this illness.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection. At any point in time there are about 21 percent of sexually active women in the general population with asymptomatic HPV infection.
Generally HPV infection will clear by itself, however when high-risk type HPV infection persists, individuals are at a greater risk of getting cervical cancer.
Screening women with cervical papanicoloau (Pap) smears is the current method of secondary prevention against cancer of the cervix, as it allows early detection.
However, there are challenges with this method which include: low sensitivity, as it fails to detect some early cancer lesions (i.e. false negatives); low specificity, as it may detect other abnormal cells that are not necessarily cancer cells (i.e. false positives); and low coverage (i.e. failure to get a high percentage of women participation in the screening programme).
Low coverage is one of the greatest challenges of screening programmes for cancer of the cervix whether with Pap smear or using other methods.
The introduction of HPV vaccine is a significant public heath milestone for South Africa, and is expected to significantly contribute to the control of cancer of the cervix and reduce associated mortality within the next two to three decades.
Human Papillomavirus vaccines
The development of HPV vaccines that prevent infection is a significant development. The HPV vaccine should be given before exposure to HPV infection, therefore it is recommended for use in girls of nine to 15 years of age. Studies have shown that vaccination of young girls substantially reduces the incidence of cancer of the cervix.
Targeted age group
The HPV vaccination programme is directed at young girls in Grade 4 who are nine years or older. Grade 4 girls in private schools and girls who do not attend school are not targeted by the programme. Girls who are in grades higher than Grade 4 will not receive the vaccine.
Parents of girls in private schools and older – up to 20 years of age – who are not yet sexually active are encouraged to have their daughters vaccinated by private service providers.
