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The answer to your question is not known.  It is not known what the ‘transmission efficacy’ of HPV is.  That is, we do not know the rate by which people actually get an infection for each exposure to the virus.  This is in contract to other sexually transmitted microbes, where an exposure often results in infection.  There is another unknown about HPV infections to complicate matters. If an HPV shows up at a later time, it is not clear whether this HPV infection is new or a reactivation of an old HPV infection. We have a lot yet to learn about HPV.  To reduce your and your partner’s risk of getting HPV, see the assessing your risk section of our web site, www.cervicalcancercampaign.org/ccfacts/risk.html.

Studies show that the vaccine is extremely safe. There is no live virus in the vaccine. The most common side effects that occur right after receiving the injection are redness and soreness where the shot was given. Headaches (like when you have a cold or fever) can also happen. Rarely, fever can also occur. Over-the-counter pain and fever medications will help if you have symptoms. As with any new vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA will continue to monitor HPV vaccination for long term effects.  One of the questions that they will be looking to answer is the same one you’ve asked, that is, how long will this vaccination last and will a booster be needed in future years.  After seven years of research, the efficacy of the vaccine appears to be lasting.                                                                                                                                                         

No, you don’t need to start the vaccination series all over again. You should proceed to get the last vaccine after pregnancy.  In fact, you should receive the HPV vaccine as soon as you can after pregnancy.  If you are breastfeeding, the CDC recommends you can still get vaccinated while lactating.

Yes, you will be able to have sex again.  However, there is still a lot we do not know about HPV. Most experts think that the HPV virus doesn't 'ping-pong' back and forth between the same partners. The LEEP or Cone procedures do not get rid of your HPV infection, only the abnormal cells resulting from persistent HPV infection.  Condoms do offer some protection against HPV transmission, as well as other sexually transmitted infections. But HPV can be spread through genital contact and that contact can occur outside of the area covered by a condom. So condoms don't offer complete protection against HPV, but they might offer you some peace of mind. 

It is thought, though, that after a LEEP or a Cone procedure, your body will mount an effective immune response to assist in clearing the virus. That is why these procedures are so effective, and cervical abnormalities rarely come back after such procedures in women with working immune systems. But this does not happen in all women and it is impossible, at this time, to predict who will have a persistent HPV infection which may lead to a recurrence of abnormal cells. That is why you need to talk about your concerns with your provider and continue to take good care of yourself and get regular checkups and Pap tests, especially if you have had a procedure for abnormal cervical cells.

From what we know from studies conducted on the cervical cancer vaccine so far, it appears to be safe to get the cervical cancer vaccine along with other vaccines (co-administration).  Long term studies will continue.

You ask a question that is on the mind of a lot of women upon hearing that they have unexpected results from their Pap test.  In most women infected with HPV, the cells in the cervix return to normal after the body's immune system has eliminated the HPV infection of forced it into latency without the woman ever having any signs or symptoms of the HPV.  However, some HPV infections do not fo away and may remian present in the cervical cells for year, without causing any abnormalities most of the time. Most HPV infections clear up within 2 years, some sooner, some longer. Long-standing infection can lead to changes in the cells that can progress to cancer if not treated. If is these cell changes taht a Pap test can detect. Make sure that you follow up with your doctor to get the treatment recommended so taht your pre-cancer cells don't turn into cancer.  Your actions can prevent cervical cancer.

The answer to your question is 'yes' it is possible for HPV to become active again.  But it doesn't happen in every case.  HPV has a tendency to lay dormant for years.  It can then reoccur. In some women, it may reoccur many times and cause the changes you have described such as CIN or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and VAIN or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia.  In other women, it may not reoccur.  If you think you are having problems, please contact your doctor and ask about these concerns.

While the vaccine is not recommended for women who are pregnant, so far in the ongoing registries, there is no evidence that the vaccine harms the baby.  Do talk the situation over with your health care provider, but don’t be overly anxious. 

Getting pregnant now after receiving the vaccine is fine. The vaccine is considered a class B drug and there are ongoing pregnancy registries tracking pregnancy outcomes in women who have gotten pregnant around the time of receiving the vaccine.  See the question and answer above from Bitsy. You should feel perfectly safe getting pregnant after getting the three vaccine series. 

While most HPV becomes clinically not detectable after some time, this does not necessarily mean it has gone away.  You may have cleared the virus or it may still be in your body in non-detectable levels. The good news is that the likelihood of its returning, once it is gone, is small.  Most of us have HPV but never know it.  It is very common.

The likelihood is high that you are infected with a high risk HPV type which means that you may pass it on to your next partner.  Unfortunately, the risk of your transmitting this HPV type to your next partner is not known.  What we do know is that a number of things need to occur, in addition to oncogenic or cancerous HPV infection, before a woman develops cervical cancer. Most women who have an HPV infection clear it on their own and cancer does not develop. Transmitting the virus to your partner rarely results in any disease.  HPV infections in men, like those in women, clear on their own most of the time over a period of time which can last from a few months to several years.  To best understand your specific risk, you should discuss these issues with a healthcare provider that deals with HPV so they can give you more personal guidance.

The answer to your question depends on why you had a hysterectomy.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy to treat cervical cancer, you should continue to have regular Pap tests to make sure the cancer hasn’t come back.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy to treat pre-cancerous changes in your cervix, you should continue to have regular tests for at least a few years after the surgery.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy where your cervix was not removed (called a subtotal or supracervical hysterectomy), you should have regular tests until you are at least 70 years old. Since your cervix wasn’t removed, there is still a chance, albeit small, that you could develop cervical cancer.

·                                 If you had a total hysterectomy (the entire uterus, including the cervix was removed) for a reason other than cancer or pre-cancer, you may not need to have the Pap or HPV test any more. Check with your doctor first, since some conditions may mean that you should continue to be tested.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy and have an immune system disease (such as infection with HIV) or are taking medicines that suppress your immune system (such as after a kidney transplant), you may be more likely to develop diseases as a result of your HPV infection. You should be tested regularly.

You should discuss your situation and your risk factors for HPV infection with your health care provider. No matter what you decide about the Pap and HPV tests, you should continue to have regular pelvic exams.

Studies show that the vaccine is extremely safe. There is no live virus in the vaccine. The most common side effects are redness and soreness where the shot was given. Headaches (like when you have a cold or fever) can also happen. Rarely, fever can also occur. Over-the-counter pain and fever medications will help if you have symptoms. As with any new medication, safety issues will continue to be monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA.  While there are rare reports of girls or young women having complications after getting the vaccine, to date, this has not affected recommendations or approval for use of the vaccine.

HPV is transmitted by skin to skin contact. Sex is the most common skin to skin contact when this occurs.

The vaccine protects against HPV strains other than the one you have (types 16 and 18 which cause the majority of cervical cancer and types 6 and 11 which cause genital warts).  The vaccine protects against these types prior to exposure to them.  The use of HPV genotypes in the US has only recently been approved, and only for HPV 16 and 18.  So there are no clinical guidelines for  management of other types, such as HPV 71.  Also, currently, the vaccine is only recommended in women up to age 26. To prevent your partner from infection your best bet is to use condoms.  HPV can be spread through skin to skin contact and the condom may not cover all areas that could lead to transmission. But it does offer some protection against HPV.