HPV & Cervical Cancer Vaccines

The HPV and/or Cervical Cancer Vaccines topic includes research on developing, delivering, and evaluating vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancers. HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses, some of which are transmitted through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Sexually transmitted HPV viruses are divided into two types: high risk and low risk. High-risk HPV can lead to several types of cancer, including cervical cancer, anal cancer, penile cancer, head and neck or throat (oropharyngeal) cancer, vulvar cancer, and vaginal cancer. Low-risk HPV can cause warts around the genitals, mouth, or throat.

The HPV vaccine Gardasil 9 protects against infection from nine HPV types: the seven types that cause most HPV-related cancers (types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) and the two low-risk types that cause most genital warts (types 6 and 11).