Vaccination
HPV | Human Papilloma Virus
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a very common condition that you can be infected with without knowing it. 75% of sexually active Canadians will contract at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. Some types of HPV go away on their own, but others can cause cancers such as cervical, vaginal, vulvar, and/or anal cancer. They can also cause genital warts.
The vaccine helps prevent HPV-related cancers.
It is important for women to have a PAP test every two (2) years as a screening test.
Condoms do not completely protect against HPV. They only protect the area they cover. You can contract it through simple skin-to-skin contact or mouth-to-genital contact, without penetration. It is therefore possible to have genital warts on the scrotum, thighs, or anus. HPV can be contracted at any age and often by people who have no symptoms.
Did you know that...
Every year in Quebec, approximately 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer.
The target audience
Anyone who is sexually active.
Anyone who has ever had an HPV infection, because immunity from the infection is specific to that HPV type, and the vaccine protects against other types of HPV.
Symptoms
Very often, infected people do not have any symptoms. This means that a person can be infected without knowing it.
Condylomas are warts that appear as small bumps on the skin or mucous membranes of the genitals (penis, scrotum, vulva, vagina, anus) and sometimes in the throat. These condylomas appear between three (3) weeks and several months, or even years after infection.
Complications
- Have very large condylomas
- In women, HPV can cause cancer of the cervix, vagina, or vulva.
- In men, lesions on the penis can develop into cancer.
- In both sexes, HPV can cause cancer of the anus or throat.
- In rare cases, lumps may appear inside the larynx, the airways, or on the vocal cords.
Transmission
HPV is transmitted through oral sex, i.e., contact between the mouth and the penis, vulva, vagina, or anus, through vaginal or anal intercourse, through contact between the genitals of partners, and through the sharing of sex toys.
It can also be transmitted from a mother to her baby during childbirth.
Prevention
- Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself.
- Protection during sexual intercourse by wearing a condom and/or using a latex square, but protection is only partial.
- Use a condom to cover sex toys when they are used by multiple people.
- Cervical cancer screening (PAP test).
If you have condylomas, consult a doctor.
The vaccination schedule
HPV | Human Papilloma Virus
| Adult | Two (2) doses | Six (6) months | No recall |
Our services are offered in our clinic and satellite clinic as well as in your home. Appointments preferred.
For more information, please contact us.
Accès Infirmières | New clinic
82, Route 338
Les Coteaux, QC J7X 1A2
Accès Infirmières
287, boulevard D'Anjou
Châteauguay, QC J6J 2R4