Information for parents

• HPV stands for human papillomavirus.

• HPVs are very common viruses that infect the deeper layers of the skin and internal passages such as the vagina, the cervix (at the lowest part of the uterus and at the top of the vagina) and the mouth.

• Infection with low-risk types can cause warts.

• Infection with high-risk types can cause cancer. 

• The types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts are spread through sexual contact (not just intercourse).

• Four out of five people become infected with HPV at some time in their lives.

• The peak incidence of HPV infection is between the ages of 16 and 20.

• Most people with HPV infections have no symptoms, the infection clears without treatment and doesn’t develop into cervical cancer.

• However, some HPV infections don’t clear and over time cause abnormal cells to grow on the cervix.  If these cells go undetected (by cervical screening) and untreated, over time, usually many years, they can lead to cervical cancer.

• Genital warts are caused by low-risk types of HPV and are not associated with cervical cancer.

• Genital warts are the most commonly reported sexually transmitted viral infection in New Zealand.

• The age groups most affected by genital warts are young men aged 15 to 24 and young women aged 15 to 19.

• Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus or womb.

• Cervical cancer develops slowly over time, usually taking many years, when abnormal cells grow on the cervix.

• These abnormal cells are caused by infection with high-risk types of HPV.

• Abnormalities in the cells of the cervix can be detected by cervical screening and removed.

• Each year there are around 25,000 abnormal smear test results among New Zealand women.

• Without cervical screening about one out of 90 women will develop cervical cancer and one out of 200 will die from it.  With screening about one out of 570 will develop cervical cancer and one out of 1,280 will die from it.

• Regular three-yearly cervical smear tests are recommended for all women aged 20 to 70 who have ever been sexually active. Click here for more information about New Zealand’s National Cervical Screening Programme.

• The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is persistent HPV infection.

• Other factors may contribute, including:

  • genetics: some women are more likely to get cancer than others (family history)

  • smoking: tobacco is a factor in causing many types of cancer, including cervical cancer.  Women who smoke are twice as likely as non-smokers to develop cervical cancer

  • nutrition: women with a diet low in fruits and vegetables have an increased risk

  • number of sexual partners: the more sexual partners a person has, the higher their risk of contracting HPV

  • not having regular smear tests: this increases a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer.
    

• Yes, but they are very rare and are usually types of cancer that cervical screening tests cannot find early or prevent.

• They include cancer of the skin (melanoma) that has spread to the cervix and cancers of the muscles, nerves and connective tissues of the cervix.

• Cervical cancer can develop over 10 or more years.

• Women receiving normal cervical smear test results can already be infected with HPV.

• A small proportion of women infected with HPV whose immune systems are not clearing the infection are at risk of developing precancerous abnormalities. If these are not detected through cervical screening and treated, they can lead to cervical cancer.

• Most but not all women with high-grade abnormalities on the cervix will develop cervical cancer if they are not treated.

• There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormalities and the development of cancer.

• HPV immunisation enables the body's immune system to produce its own protection (antibodies) against the two types of HPV that cause 7 out of 10 (70%) cervical cancers and the two types of HPV that cause 9 out of 10 (90%) genital warts.

• The immunisation is expected to provide long lasting protection.  As studies are ongoing, the exact period of protection is unknown. So far, they show that five years after the immunisation, protection remains high with no sign of weakening.

• For the immunisation to be most effective, your daughter should be immunised before she is likely to be exposed to HPV.  This is before she starts having any sexual contact.

• Having a sexual partner may be a long way off for your daughter, but being immunised now means she will be less likely to have an HPV infection, receive an abnormal smear test result or develop cervical cancer in the future.

• There is also good evidence that younger girls develop a stronger immune response from the vaccine compared with older girls.

• You are encouraged to discuss the decision to immunise with the girls and young women in your care.

• Yes.  The vaccine does not protect against 30% of HPV types that can lead to cervical cancer, so your daughter will still need to have regular cervical smear tests when she’s older.

• Regular three-yearly smear tests are recommended for all women aged 20 to 70 if they have ever been sexually active.  

• Together, HPV immunisation, cervical screening and practising safe sex will offer your daughter the most effective protection against cervical cancer.
  

• Click here for more information about New Zealand’s National Cervical Screening Programme.

The vaccine also helps to protect against less common cancers, such as vaginal and other genital cancers and some mouth and throat cancers that are caused by HPV infection.

• The HPV immunisation is an immunisation to help protect her against cervical cancer and genital warts. While the types of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer and genital warts are spread through sexual contact, you are not endorsing or promoting sexual activity if you decide to immunise your daughter.

• It may be a number of years before your daughter is sexually active.  One reason to consider immunisation now is evidence that younger girls develop a stronger immune response from the vaccine compared with older girls.

• If you choose to immunise now, when your daughter is older and thinking about intimate relationships, you can feel confident that you have done your best to protect her from HPV and some of the diseases it can cause.

• It is important to remember that HPV immunisation does not protect her from other sexually transmitted infections or prevent pregnancy, so you will need to talk with her about these things at some stage.

• When the time comes, talk to your daughter about the importance of regular smear tests. Being immunised against HPV does not mean she does not need to have regular smear tests. Doing both will help protect her against cervical cancer.

• What else can you do? Talk about the importance of safe sex so she can protect herself against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

• Using condoms helps prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Condoms may not completely eliminate the risk of HPV infection because the virus can be contracted through skin-to-skin contact beyond the covered area.