Cervical Cancer Vaccine Will Be Available In Sonora

Sonora, CA — A newly approved vaccine against cervical cancer will be available in the Mother Lode shortly.

Karen Gaspardi, who has been a private practice Gynecologist in Sonora for 15 years, says the vaccine works by preventing infection of the human papilloma virus, or HPV.

Gaspardi says because HPV is responsible for about 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases, the vaccine will prove to be highly effective in preventing the cancer.

The vaccine will be targeted toward younger people, from age 9 to 25 because it is most effective if the person has not ever been infected with HPV.

Although Gaspardi is excited about the breakthrough, she does not believe there will be an immediate effect because disease develops over a period of years. Gaspardi recommends that all women have annual examinations and STD tests.

Written by Sabrina Sabbagh