Addressing Cervical Cancer in Women Through the HPV Vaccine

Nearly 80% of women in the United States will experience a form of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) within their lifetime. This has been associated with advanced or fatal cases of cervical and other genital cancers. The HPV vaccine is one of the only forms of cancer prevention, yet there are still disparities within vaccination rates and continual increased diagnosis of HPV and cancers associated with such. Methods used in researching literature related to decreasing rates of cervical cancer through proper administration of the HPV vaccine included initially determining crucial criteria to identify and eliminate during the search. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed articles within the last five years, women ages 13-50, vaccine hesitancy, factors associated with decreased vaccination rates as well as the prevention of cervical cancer. Exclusion criteria included articles older than five years, males, and women younger than 13 and older than 50 as well as articles that were not peer-reviewed. It is recommended that women ages 9-26 should receive the HPV vaccine, with the optimal age range being 11-12 year olds. Receiving the HPV vaccine significantly reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer in the future and should be implemented at higher rates as well as higher educational effort for patients on the risks of not receiving the vaccine.