At least 90% of women in Mexico have been infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the main risk factors for developing cervical cancer, so the vaccine against the virus is an option to protect people, said a specialist on Tuesday.
“The vaccine is essential, because of the prevention it gives us”, Dr. Liliana Oropeza, a gynecologist and member of the Mexican Federation of Gynecological Endoscopy, told Efe.
The specialist explained that there are two vaccines against HPV, one that protects against cervical cancer and another that is also a shield against warts caused by the virus. The latter is recommended for men.
“Men are the ones who transmit the disease, which is why it is important to vaccinate them too”, he claimed.
Oropeza explained that HPV is a family of viruses that correspond to more than 100 types, which usually have different areas of the body to infect.
However, the most worrisome, he said, are those that infect the genitals: the vulva, the vagina and the cervix in the case of women and the genitals and the anus in the case of men.
In these cases, there are low and high risk viruses “those that produce warts are low risk, but what does not produce them can develop cervical cancer,” he said.
He explained that virtually all people who have sex have had contact with HPV. However, most of them have no symptoms and the virus becomes transient.
But in many other cases they may be asymptomatic and the woman does not realize until the cancer develops.
“That is why vaginal examination and pap smears are important,” he said.
He pointed out that, if there is no review, years can pass and it is during this period that cervical cancer develops, which takes the life of a woman every two minutes in Mexico.
EARLY SEXUAL AGE
He noted that in general it is much easier for a woman under 24 to become infected with the virus, because there is still little maturity of the immune system.
The concern, he said, is that in Mexico and according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), young people begin their sex lives on average at 14.6 years.
“That’s why teenage girls and women under 24 are currently suffering much more from this disease than adults,” he said.
And it is that one of the main risk factors is to start sex life early, have several sexual partners and be a smoker.
He noted that the vaccine is given to girls and boys between 9 and 12 years of age and has an approximate protection of 10 to 15 years. After this period, you should be vaccinated again.
Finally, he recommended that in addition to the vaccine, measures such as postpone the onset of sexual life, prevent the change of sexual partners, maintain a healthy physiological state and be periodically reviewed be taken.
“The most important thing is that people know that this disease can be prevented and take action in this regard,” he concluded.
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