Having sex without enough antibodies can still cause STIs (sexually transmitted infections) caused by HPV. Therefore, if you have sex, it is necessary to take protective measures to prevent the risk of infection during vaccination.
1. Can I have sex with the HPV vaccine?
There are currently no specific guidelines on whether to have sex while receiving the cervical cancer vaccine. It takes 6 months after getting the vaccine to have enough antibodies to prevent HPV viruses that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. Having sex after receiving the HPV vaccine during this time is not safe because it still carries a risk of HPV-related diseases as the level of antibodies is enough.
According to WHO, HPV vaccination must be at least 2 doses to prevent cervical cancer. For women who are planning to become pregnant, they should only get pregnant after receiving the last dose for at least 1-3 months, if they become pregnant during the vaccination period, they should postpone the injection and continue injecting after giving birth.
The HPV vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV, only the types that cause more serious diseases like genital herpes and cervical cancer.
2. The benefits of HPV vaccination?
HPV virus can cause sexually transmitted diseases with the most serious being genital warts and cervical cancer. When infected with HPV, the body has almost no specific symptoms, and most of the virus will disappear on its own without causing any health problems. Serious disease occurs only when` infected with high-risk HPV strains such as 16 and 18, which in the long term can cause cervical cancer.
Therefore, HPV is usually recommended for women aged 9 - 26 years, with most effective at 9 - 15 years of age, when most children have not had sex. Currently, there are 2 types of HPV vaccines used in Vietnam, Cervarix (prevents two strains of HPV 16 and 18) and Gardasil (prevents 4 strains of HPV 6, 11, 16, 18) for 0 - 2 - 6 month schedule (2nd is got 2 months apart from 1st dose, 3rd is 4 months apart from 2nd).
3. If you've had sex, should you get an HPV vaccination?
There are over 40 strains of sexually transmitted HPV virus out of more than 100 found. The HPV vaccine only helps prevent high-risk strains of cervical cancer such as 16, and 18, the new generation vaccine can prevent 2 more strains 6, and 11 from preventing genital herpes.
People who have been sexually active and married can still get the HPV vaccine. After sex, most women only are infected with a few strains, the incidence of infecting all 4 strains at the same time is less than 0.1%. While the vaccine can prevent all 4 strains of HPV, vaccination is still effective in preventing the disease.
In addition, when infected with HPV, the body has created passive immunity to that strain, while vaccination can add more antibodies through active immunity, helping to eliminate the infected virus. After treatment for genital herpes, you can still get the HPV vaccine to prevent recurrence.
Vinmec International General Hospital currently provides HPV vaccination services for those in need. By choosing vaccination at Vinmec, customers will be completely reassured by:
Being monitored before, during, and after vaccination at Vinmec Health System and always having an emergency team ready to coordinate with the vaccination department to handle the vaccination. Managing cases of anaphylaxis, respiratory failure - circulatory arrest, ensuring timely and correct treatment when incidents occur.
Vaccines are imported and stored in a modern cold storage system, with a cold chain that meets GSP standards, keeping vaccines in the best conditions to ensure quality. Be examined by specialist doctors, screened for all health and physical problems, consulted on preventive vaccines and injection protocol, monitoring, and post-vaccination care before prescribing. Vaccination is performed according to the newest recommendations of the Ministry of Health & World Health Organization to ensure the best effectiveness and safety for customers. The team of specialists and nurses are experienced and professional, understand customer psychology, and apply effective pain relief during the vaccination process. 100% of vaccinated customers are monitored 30 minutes after injection and reassessed before leaving.
To arrange an appointment, please call HOTLINE or make your reservation directly HERE. You may also download the MyVinmec app to schedule appointments faster and manage your reservations more conveniently.
