Ep. 5 The HPV Vaccine

In this episode of What The Health? CCAP Across The Map members Erin Baughman and Michael McPhie discuss the HPV vaccine. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. It is also responsible for the majority of cases of  vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile, and orophangeal cancer. In addition, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. The HPV vaccine was introduced in the U.S. in 2006 and since then there have been hundreds of millions of doses given in over 130 nations around the world, leading to a dramatic decline in HPV and HPV related cancers.

Erin and Michael talk about the impact of the vaccine, recommendations on when to get it, and policies that have shaped the fight against HPV and many forms of cancer.