Human Papillomavirus: A common sexual infection that can cause genital warts and various types of cancer in men and women.
Expanded HPV Vaccination in India: A Crucial Step Towards Cancer Elimination
In a significant move towards cancer prevention, the latest HPV vaccination guidelines in India now recommend vaccination for both boys and girls, primarily targeting ages 9–14 years for the strongest protection with two doses spaced 6–12 months apart.
For those aged 15–26, a three-dose schedule is recommended, while for individuals 27–45, vaccination is based on case-by-case decisions. Immunocompromised persons are advised to receive three doses regardless of age.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) updated 2025 guidance supports a single-dose schedule for girls under 15, which could facilitate broader immunization coverage in India.
The HPV vaccine offers up to 100% efficacy against targeted HPV types when administered before exposure and provides long-lasting immunity with no significant waning observed up to 12+ years post-vaccination. It dramatically reduces cervical cancer incidence, prevents precancerous lesions, and guards against other HPV-related malignancies like oropharyngeal cancer. Vaccination programs have also shown substantial reductions in genital warts in adolescents.
HPV-related cancers, notably cervical cancer in women and oropharyngeal cancer in men, account for about 7.5% of all cancers in India. While cervical cancer incidence is decreasing in many regions due to prevention efforts, overall HPV-related cancer cases are projected to rise by 2025 without further scale-up of vaccination and screening programs.
Scaling up HPV vaccination and screening is thus critical to reducing the HPV burden. Sociocultural barriers such as low awareness, stigma linking HPV vaccination to promiscuity, and limited access — especially in rural or lower-income communities — remain major challenges in achieving high coverage.
The national agenda aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 through expanded HPV vaccination and improved screening. The vaccine is safe, effective, and a pivotal public health tool in reducing HPV-related malignancies in India.
The National Cancer Control Programme in India provides Pap smear screenings as part of their program. The cost of the HPV vaccine in India varies, ranging from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3000. It is crucial to practice safe intercourse and get vaccinated against HPV to limit the chance of transmission.
HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, most notably through sexual intercourse. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 80% of persons will have an HPV infection during their lifetime. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause warts or abnormalities in cervix, anus, mouth, or throat cells.
India has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, with an estimated 124,000 new cases and 74,000 fatalities each year. HPV-related cancers can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these therapies.
Gardasil 9 is a two-dose HPV vaccine for ages 9-45, or a three-dose vaccine for ages 9-14. HPV is more common in young people, particularly those who are sexually active. A Pap smear is a screening method for cervical cancer, typically suggested for women starting at 21, performed every 3 years for normal findings.
There are around 150 different forms of HPV, and approximately 40 of them can infect the vaginal area. Depending on the vaccine, it is often administered in two or three shots. HPV vaccines are efficient in avoiding infection with the most common HPV types that cause cancer.
Cervical Cancer Awareness is an annual observance in January to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. Cervarix is a two-dose HPV vaccine, with the first dose at 0 months and the second dose at 6 months.
The Pap smear detects changes in cervix cells that may indicate the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells. Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent HPV-related malignancies in women, with an estimated 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths per year.
- The HPV vaccine offers up to 100% efficacy against targeted HPV types, guarding against not only cervical cancer but also oropharyngeal cancer.
- Scale-up of HPV vaccination and screening programs is critical to reduce HPV-related cancer cases, including those related to medical-conditions like chronic diseases and neurological disorders.
- In addition to cancer prevention, maintaining digestive health, eye-health, hearing, and skin-care is essential for overall health-and-wellness.
- Fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, and mental-health are crucial components of health-and-wellness for everyone, including men's-health and women's-health.
- The vaccination guidelines in India extend to vaccines like Gardasil 9, protecting against autoimmune-disorders and various skin-conditions.
- Mental-health conditions like anxiety and depression are chronic diseases that can be treated with therapies-and-treatments, along with lifestyle changes and parenting skills.
- Regular health check-ups are important for early detection and treatment of health problems, such as respiratory-conditions, cardiovascular-health, and hearing impairments.
- CBD, a popular ingredient in many health supplements, is known for its potential benefits for mental-health and chronic-diseases like epilepsy.
- Men's-health includes not only physical health but also sexual-health, with proper education, screening, and treatments available for sexually transmitted infections like HPV.
- Womens-health encompasses several aspects, including reproductive health, skin-care, and mental-health, with various screenings and vaccines available to address conditions like cervical cancer.
- Vaccinations, along with regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle, form a vital part of a comprehensive health plan for individuals of all ages, promoted by organizations like the World Health Organization.
- In India, the National Cancer Control Programme provides screenings like Pap smears and vaccines like the HPV vaccine to help combat the prevalence of HPV-related cancers.
