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Abstract

Abbreviations: STI, sexually transmitted infection; HPV, human papillomavirus; USPSTF, united states preventive services task force IntroductionMany individuals contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) at some point in their lives. This is particularly true among women, in part as a result of their vulnerability related to biological, psychological and situational characteristics. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common STIs among women with over 290 million women infected.1 HPV outcomes include high morbidity and mortality. Annually, HPV causes 530,000 cases of cervical carcinoma and 275,000 deaths from this virus. 2 HPV consists of at least 100 different types, including more than 30 genital strains that can be transmitted sexually, of which two types of HPV can cause infections of the skin or mucosal tissue of the genital area such as the cervix, vulva, mouth, vagina or anus where usually no clinical symptoms with the risk of leading to genital warts, and others, invasive cervical cancer.3 Because HPV is often asymptomatic, many people are unaware of their infection status and its ability to transmit the virus to a sexual partner. Individuals may as a result, engage in high risk sexual behavior. HPV is so common in today's society that more than 50% of sexually active women and men get it at some point in their lives. 4 It has been estimated that approximately 75% of women who are sexually active will be diagnosed with HPV during their lifetime.5 Therefore, control of HPV in this population requires the development of strategies for primary (condom use and vaccination) and secondary (diagnosis and treatment) prevention, self-care, identification of high risk sexual relationships, situations or vulnerability and encouragement of health promotion including adoption of preventive measures. 6The incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer within industrialized countries have decreased significantly over the past 50 years due to the implementation and use of the Pap test. 7 This test has been found to be an effective tool for early detection of cervical neoplasia and development of cervical cancer primarily caused by HPV. Early detection and proper follow-up increases the probability of cervical cancer survival to almost 100%. 8 Unfortunately, despite the fact that the health sector offers services for early detection of cervical cancer, a lack of HPV knowledge, specifically in most cases where there are no signs or symptoms, delays its detection and treatment. The public and private health sectors are responsible for disseminating information among young women concerning the importance of the implementation of the HPV vaccine. The most common HPV vaccine used at this time in Mexico protects against two types of high risk HPV associated with precursor cervical lesions (16 and 18), and the two types of low-risk HPV (6 and 11) associated with the presence of genital warts. Considering the limited protection offered by vaccination, there is a need to educate women who have been vaccinated as...