HPV (human papillomavirus) is a very common virus and surprisingly easy to catch; most sexually active people will contract this viral infection at some stage of their lives.
It's possible to get the virus just through sexual touching, without even having intercourse.
Many people who have HPV don't show any signs of it, so they can pass it on without even knowing.
In most people, HPV is harmless.
However, for some people infection by certain types of the virus can lead to diseases such as genital warts and HPV-related cancers like anal, cervical and vaginal cancer.
Like the vaccines you got as a child, the vaccine works by causing the body to produce its own protection (virus-fighting antibodies) against HPV.
The vaccine has been clinically tested and shown to be effective in helping prevent HPV-related diseases from occurring, and is expected to offer long-lasting protection.
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Protect yourself and your partner with the FREE* HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccine protects you and your partner against HPV-related cancers that are a serious risk to both men and women.
Need help talking to your partner about HPV and getting protected?
The sooner you do it the better.
If you want to help protect against HPV-related cancers, talk to your doctor about having the HPV vaccine as soon as you can.
For those aged 15 years and over, all it takes is three injections over 6-12 months.