HPV and Cervical Cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common infection, is the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer. Physicians think HPV causes 95% of cervical cancer cases. But you can take steps to prevent HPV infection or reduce your risk, including getting a vaccine.

Take Charge of Your Health

Talk to your primary care provider to see if getting the HPV vaccine is right for you. UW Medicine Primary Care can help you get started. Learn about Fred Hutch's relationship with UW Medicine.

About the HPV Vaccine

A vaccine called Gardasil can prevent infection with many types of HPV — including several types that cause cancer. Vaccination prevents 90% of cancers caused by HPV.

How the vaccine is given and the recommended ages to receive it:

  • The vaccine is given as series of shots, either two or three based on the person’s age.
  • Physicians recommend that young people get the vaccine early in life, ideally at age 11 or 12, before they become sexually active. It can be given as early as age 9.
  • Older teens and adults can also get the vaccine. Usually, it’s not given after age 26 because most unvaccinated people already have HPV by that age.

If you’re 26 or younger and tested positive for HPV, it might still be a good idea to get the vaccine. It won’t cure the HPV you already have. But it may protect you against types of HPV you don’t have, including high-risk types.

Talk with your primary care provider or gynecologist about whether the vaccine is right for you (and for your children if you’re a parent).

Fred Hutch Cancer Center researcher Denise Galloway, PhD, made critical discoveries in linking HPV to several cancers and in designing clinical trials for the HPV vaccine. She continues to research the results of using the vaccine and is working to find out if a single dose can provide long-term immunity.

More Ways to Reduce Your Risk for HPV and Cervical Cancer

Along with having the vaccine, there are other ways to help lower your risk of getting HPV.

Wait until later in life to become sexually active, have sexual contact with fewer people and use condoms. Your risk for HPV may be higher if you become sexually active before age 18, if you have many sexual partners or if you have a partner who has HPV or has many sexual partners.

If you have high-risk HPV, smoking (or breathing secondhand smoke) increases your risk for cervical cancer. If you smoke, it’s important to quit. Help is available. Talk with your primary cancer provider. They can help you make a plan to quit and find supportive resources that are right for you. There are medicines that can help as well, like nicotine replacement products and drugs to ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Fred Hutch has a free smartphone app called QuitBot that includes step-by-step guidance and virtual coaching.

The chances that HPV will cause cervical cancer are higher if:

  • You have used birth control pills or given birth to many children. The reasons aren’t clear.
  • You have a condition or take a medicine that weakens your immune system.

Your care team can help you weigh the different factors that affect your risk for human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. Talk with them about your unique situation.

Learn more about how to prevent cervical cancer.

Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer FAQ

There’s a test to check for some types of HPV in the cervix. It can tell if this part of your body is infected. It can’t tell if you have an HPV infection in another part of your body, like an oral or anal infection, or if you have cancer or precancerous changes.

Typically, the test is done on a sample of cells taken by a health care provider during a pelvic exam, often at the same time as a Pap test. There are also kits you can use to collect a sample yourself, either at home or at your provider’s office, using a soft swab. If you prefer this option, ask your provider to order a kit for you that’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

If you have HPV, there’s no cure. But there are ways to treat symptoms, like warts, and cell changes that could become cancer (precancer).

  • See your primary care provider or gynecologist for regular checkups that include a pelvic exam and Pap test, even if you have no symptoms or concerns.
  • If you have symptoms of cervical cancer or any other gynecologic or reproductive concern, see your provider. They can help you find out the cause and get any care you might need.