Dear DOLLY DR, I'm not sexually active yet however I have had the cervical cancer vaccine. Does this mean I will not ever have to have a Pap smear? If not, when should I start having them?
This is a great question because other young women are also confused about this.
Women who have had the vaccine still need Pap smears once they become sexually active, here's why: The vaccine protects you from 4 strains of the Human Papillomavirus (or HPV), 2 of which can cause cervical cancer and 2 of which can cause genital warts.
These HPV virus strains are sexually transmitted. The vaccine is deliberately given well before girls become sexually active so that once you do become sexually active you will have lots of antibodies against these 4 HPV strains and therefore a much lower risk of developing cervical cancer or genital warts.
The HPV vaccine reduces your risk of cancer but does not eliminate it because there are other HPV strains that can cause cervical cancer and because a vaccine is never 100% effective. Pap smears detect pre-cancerous changes in the cervix so that treatment can be given before it progresses to cancer. It's recommended that you have your first Pap smear within 2 years of becoming sexually active.
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