Hi, does it make sense for a woman in her 20s to get an hpv vaccine if she's never had one?

You think about it: The newer 9 strain HPV vaccine helps avoid infection with 2 wart strains and 7 known to be associated with cervical and other cancers.These are passed sexually, often by persons with no symptoms or knowledge that they are infected. Once infected, they can hang around in your system for decades before cancer may develop.This is one way to try to avoid a form of cancer, and associated treatments.

Risks vs. benefits: This requires weighing the risks vs. benefits. While most tolerate the HPV vaccine well, there have also been many reports of serious side effects. See http://tinyurl.com/h363caz The potential benefits are theoretical and still unproven. Most HPV infections are self-limited and any cervical cancer that might result from HPV is readily prevented by regular pap smears. See http://tinyurl.com/kux3u3w