HPV

Cervical cancer is becoming more and more common in women no matter the age, and the immune system can't do it alone. To help correct that there is a shot given called Gardasil. Gardasil does not contain any of the HPV virus, but is made up of little particles. It stimulates the body to make antibodies to recognize and fight the HPV. This is because Gardasil gives the traits of HPV without actually containing it so that the body can make antibodies that recognize HPV. It proctects against four types of HPV. There does have to be enough antibodies in the blood when exposure happens. The antibodies stay in the body for a period of time. Multiple shots are given over a period of time to ensure that enough antibodies are made and remain in the body. A total of three shots are given.

My best friend has HPV and gets the Gardasil shot. I never understood before why there were three shots given compared to people who have, for example, breast cancer and go through months of chemo and radiation. That has since been cleared up for me in understanding how the immune system works with the shots. By the fact that the have traces or the same characteristics of the disease to make the body create antibodies to prevent the sickness.