Sexually active Nigerians should take HPV vaccine- Expert

HPV-vaccine

A Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr Nathaniel Adewole, has urged all sexually active Nigerians to take the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, to prevent them from contracting the virus.

Adewole, said in Abuja on Thursday that the vaccine would be more helpful to men or women who had multiple sex partners.

According to him, the virus is the leading cause of cervical cancer.

“Any man or woman who has multiple sex partners stands a high risk of getting the virus, and the virus cannot be cured, it can only be managed.

“The virus can be transmitted from man to woman, especially those who have multiple sex partners.

“It is better when you are not HPV exposed; you know most virus do not have treatment, they can only be managed.

“A person can take the vaccine to prevent him/her from having it and a woman that is not HPV positive can take the injection in order to prevent it.

“The best advice for the man if he has it already is that his wife should go for screening,’’ Adewole said.

According to him, people who have multiple sex partners, early exposure to sex, and people who engage in unprotected sex stand the risk of contracting the virus.

He said that cervical cancer was one of the leading causes of death among women, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Adewole, therefore, advised women to do regular cervical screening or Pap smear in order to detect and treat whatever could lead to cervical cancer at an early stage.

He further advised HPV positive women to continue to undergo Pap smear screening while non-positive women should have the screening done at three-year intervals.