Hello po Ms. Rica,
I’m 19 years old and am thinking about getting the HPV vaccine. My mom said I don’t need it but my friends said that they had theirs po and that it’s needed lalo na kung sexually active. I’ve been having sex for a year na po. Is it true that I need it? What are they for po ba?
Thank you,
Vaccine Girl
Hi Vaccine Girl,
Yes! The HPV vaccine protects you against human papillomavirus (HPV) strains. These strains are associated with cervical cancer and genital warts. Two strains HPV-6 and HPV-11, are responsible for approximately 90 percent of genital warts. And another two strains, HPV-16 and HPV-18, cause 70 percent of cases of cervical cancer. Hindi lang yan, depending on the kind of HPV vaccine that will be administered to you, it has the potential to prevent almost 90 percent of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers.
Actually, hindi lang pang sexually active women ang HPV vaccine. Sa totoo lang, it can be administered to children aged 9 years old and adults up to 45 years old. Recent studies suggest that even men should have the vaccine because HPV can be transmitted sexually. Ibig sabihin, hindi lang babae ang pwedeng magkaroon ng sakit related to HPV.
Though keep in mind that these vaccines work for prevention,hindi nila kayang i-cure ang HPV. Also, hindi lahat ng HPV strains ay kayang i-prevent ng vaccine, kaya kailangan pa rin ng regular Pap tests, especially if you’re sexually active. Pap tests naman are tools for detecting pre-cancerous or cancerous changes in the cervix, and the early treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer can be very effective.
These are just some information that I can share about the HPV vaccine. If you want to get your shot, I suggest that you talk to your OB-GYNE and ask him/her your questions about HPV and the diseases related to this virus. Keep learning and informing yourself about these things lalo na how to protect yourself from conditions and diseases that you can get from being sexually active. That way, you can arm yourself and enjoy your sexy time more! Good luck!
With love and lust,
Rica
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If you have questions on love and sex that you want me to answer, follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_ricacruz and www.facebook.com/TheSexyMind
Biography: Rica Cruz is a Licensed Psychologist and Sex Therapist. She comes out as the Resident Sex Therapist on Boys’ Night Out every Thursday night on Magic 89.9.
