Cervical cancer kills over 274,000 each year worldwide and
is still one of the leading causes of death in Indonesian
women, and now we have a vaccine to prevent it!
The cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, designed by Australian
Doctor Ian Frazer, has been approved by Australia’s
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use on boys aged
nine to 15 and girls aged nine to 26; while the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its use in girls and
women aged from nine to 26. Europe and the UK are now also
using the vaccine. The good news is that the vaccine is now
available here in Bali. (Call Dr. Ristie 08123818570, or myself
08123660000 for appointments).
One of the leading causes of cervical cancer is the Human
Papilloma Virus or HPV (a sexually transmitted genital wart).
About 80 per cent of sexually active women (and men) can expect
to have an HPV infection at some point in their lives.
Gardasil works against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus
(HPV), which causes changes in cells that leads to cervical
cancer, it protects against cervical cancer caused by HPV
strains 6, 11, 16 and 18, and also against genital warts.
In worldwide clinical trials involving more than 20,000 mostly
sexually active women, Gardasil was 100 per cent effective
in preventing cervical cancers, and 99 per cent effective
in preventing two types of warts.
The vaccine is given in three doses at two monthly intervals
over a period of 6 months and costs approximately 1.5 million
rupiah ($160.00 USD) per dose.
Here are some of the more common questions regarding this
vaccine:
Does the vaccine contain a live virus?
No. Gardasil contains a virus-like particle, but not the virus
itself.
Is Gardasil safe?
Reports from clinical trials, to date, show Gardasil to be
safe.
Will Gardasil protect women that have already been exposed
to HPV and can it be used to treat cervical cancer?
Gardasil is not designed to protect people who have already
been exposed to HPV or to treat cervical cancer; it is a preventative
treatment only.
Will the new vaccine eliminate the need for cervical cancer
screening?
No. Gardasil doesn’t protect against all causes of cervical
cancer, so screening (such as the Pap test) will still be
needed. Screening is essential to detect cancer and precancerous
lesions caused by other HPV types. Screening will also continue
to be necessary for women who have not been vaccinated or
are already infected with HPV.
Are there other cervical cancer vaccines?
Gardasil is the first cervical cancer vaccine to be approved.
In fact, it’s the first vaccine to protect against a
risk factor for a cancer.
Will this vaccine protect against other sexually transmitted
disease?
NO. This vaccine is not a protection against any other sexually
transmitted diseases, and is by no means a substitute for
safe sexual practice.
Does it interfere with my birth control pill or injections?
No. There is no interaction between these medications.
What are the side effects of the vaccine?
The vaccine is generally well tolerated, however some girls
my suffer fever, nausea, fainting and swelling at the injection
site.
Kim Patra is a qualified registered nurse and midwife who
has been living and working in Bali for almost 20 years. She
now runs her own private practice and medical referral service
from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns
with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com
or Hp. 081 2366 0000.
