Be protected, talk to your doctor today :)

I Got protected with the HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) yesterday. Here are some facts about the disease:

• up to 80% of women will get HPV in their lifetime, the virus that causes cervical cancer
• Everyday, 12 Filipino women die of cervical cancer
• within 5 years of diagnosis, more than half of the women with cervical cancer won't survive.

That's me with Dra. Gonzales who was sweet enough to get us female employees protected against Cervical cancer.

Reading the vaccination schedule while Dra. Gonzalez gives me the vaccine through Intramuscular injection.

That's it! and I love the infamous pink band aid! haha!

Because cervical cancer often has no signs or symptoms, most women don't know they have it until its too late.

3 things you need to count on when it comes to cervical cancer vaccination:

1. Because women are at risk of getting HPV at anytime throughout their sexually active lives, the ideal cervical cancer vaccine must provide long-term protection. This means that the vaccine should induce antibody levels that stay high throughout the years, giving you protection that's designed to last.
2. Check if the vaccine produces the antibodies where you need it the most, at the cervix. Because HPV is a tricky virus that can evade your immune system, having the protection where you need it ensures a faster response to the HPV infection.
3. The most worrisome HPV types are HPV 16 and 18 since they cause 70% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. 

But if you're a wife trying to conceive, you might want to postpone getting the shots so that it wont affect the formation of the baby. And make sure that you aren't trying to conceive for a year (upon the completion of the course- 3 shots).

The injection didn't hurt at all, I just felt a bit of heaviness on my muscle that I experienced up to three days, so I'd suggest that you get the shot before your off- duty days.

As a nurse, our work might be taxing and scary at times, but having the perks of being protected and having all the means to be a healthier person and having the chance to share it with my loved ones too makes being a nurse worth while.

What are you waiting for? Talk to your O.B./ Doctor today :)