A recent study conducted by the U.S. Center for Disease control concluded that 1 in 4 women carry the cervical cancer virus. The first study to test a broad range of women in America found that the statistics support the vaccination of young girls, as well as older, college age women.
According to an article from HealthDay, “The CDC currently recommends that the vaccine be routinely given to girls 11 and 12 years of age to help prevent infection with the sexually transmitted virus. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also recommends Gardasil for use in girls beginning at age 9 -- at the provider's discretion -- and in young women up to the age of 26.”
Dr. Eileen Dunne, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC said, “It's important for people to know that this is a highly prevalent infection, that sexually active women are likely to acquire this infection, and that it is important to have regular cervical cancer screenings at this point as currently recommended. There's also CDC recommendations for using the HPV vaccine to prevent certain types of HPV.”
According to the study, the number of women infected with the virus rose steadily throughout adolescence and peaked during college years (20-24 years old). Almost half (44%) of the women examined during their peak years tested positive for the virus. After 24, the rate of infection slowly declined as the women’s age increased.
The study tested more than 2,000 American women aging 14 to 59. Researchers reiterated that the study results do not calculate the lifetime risk of a woman ever contracting the virus.