While Cervical Screening Awareness Week has been taking place this week it has been announced that teenagers in England will, from September, only be offered a single shot of the preventative HPV vaccine rather than the previous two doses.

The vaccine has been offered in schools to girls since 2008 and to boys since 2019. The relationship between HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer has been studied for many years and it is now known that more than 95 per cent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV. With cervical cancer being the fourth most common cancer among women globally, the previous introduction of the vaccine was very much welcome and has undoubtedly saved many lives, coupled with the all-important regular attendance for cervical screening.

Advanced scientific research is now evidencing that one dose of the HPV vaccine provides protection as robust as two doses and, for that reason, only a single dose will be offered from September to all children aged 12-13, and to all eligible men under the age of 25. Two or more doses will continue to be offered to older eligible men and those with HIV or who are immunosuppressed.

The HPV vaccination programme is one of the most successful in the world and it is hoped that this does not change based on the new guidelines coming into place. The message that the HPV vaccine alone is not sufficient protection also remains a strong one – it is imperative to attend for cervical screening when invited by your GP to do so, which should be every three years between the ages of 25 and 49 and every five years thereafter. The cervical screening test now only screens for HPV itself, given the extremely strong correlation between the presence of HPV and the instance of cervical cancer, and if you test positive for HPV then you will be invited back annually for further screening thereafter.

HPV often does not cause any symptoms, hence the huge importance of attending cervical screening tests and encouraging those around you to do the same. While not the nicest of experiences, a cervical screening test should not be more than minimally painful, and it is invaluable in catching HPV, pre-cancerous and cancerous cells as early as possible. The five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 91% when it is diagnosed at an early stage, meaning it is essential that the importance of cervical screening is not forgotten.