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January is Cervical Health Awareness Month!

Cervical cancer is a common cancer for people assigned female at birth. An estimated 13,360 people AFAB were diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. in 2025 (National Cancer Institute, 2025). There are also stark racial inequalities with cervical cancer. The death rate from this cancer is 65% higher for Black and Native American people AFAB than white people (American Cancer Society, 2025).  Many people don’t know that the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes most cases of cervical cancer, over 90% (CDC, 2025). However, there is a highly effective vaccine to prevent HPV and the cancers it causes.

When the vaccine was first released, we understood less about HPV and the kinds of cancer it could cause. The HPV vaccine was originally targeted to young cisgender girls and TGD people assigned female at birth, because of the strong connection between HPV and cervical cancer. This has led to the common misconception that there’s no benefit to vaccination for people assigned male at birth, including trans women and AMAB enbies. Since the HPV vaccine was released, we’ve learned that HPV is also one of the leading causes of anal, penile, and throat/ mouth cancers. Each year, about 16,000 people AMAB are diagnosed with an HPV related cancer (CDC, 2025).

What is HPV?

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. There are many subtypes of HPV, some more likely to cause cancer than others. For example, HPV types 6 and 11 cause over 90% of genital warts, which rarely lead to cancer. HPV is spread through skin to skin contact with the genitals of a person with HPV. This means condoms only provide a little protection from HPV, as they don’t cover all skin in the genital area (American Cancer Society, 2025). Getting bottom surgery doesn’t “reset” the risk of getting HPV for TGD people. About 13 million Americans, including teens, get HPV each year (CDC, 2024). By age 50, 75% of people will have had HPV (Palesky and Cox, 2025). The body’s immune system usually fights off the virus, causing no long term consequences. However, some individuals immune systems may not clear the virus. when this happens, long term infection may go on to cause precancerous conditions and cancers, including cervical cancer.

HPV among TGD People 

Though more research is needed, it seems that TGD people are more likely to be impacted by HPV and the cancers it causes. TGD people are slightly less likely to get the HPV vaccine. One study has found that only 32.6% of trans women had received it, compared to 67.8% of cisgender girls and 58.3% of cisgender boys (Sabeena & Ravishankar, 2025). Transgender men also had 62% lower odds of HPV vaccination compared with cisgender women ( Pho et al., 2022). Numerous studies suggest that healthcare providers may be less likely to offer the HPV vaccine to LGBT patients (Meites at al., 2022). While this is likely due to heterosexist messaging when the vaccine was released, lack of healthcare provider knowledge is one the systemic causes of health inequity for LGBT people.

HIV positive people are also at heightened risk of HPV infection and the cancers associated with HPV. Because HIV weakens the immune system, it can cause HPV related cancers to develop more often and more quickly. The risk of anal cancer in HIV+ people is 40 times higher than the general population (Uuskula et al., 2025). The high risk of HIV in the trans community, particularly for trans women and trans femmes, means that HPV prevention is very important. So is routine anal cancer screenings starting at age 35 if you’re HIV+ or age 45 if you’re HIV negative. 

The HPV Vaccine 

The HPV Vaccine, under brand name Gardasil9 in the U.S., has been proven to prevent 9 strains of HPV and several cancers associated with HPV. Since the vaccine was approved in the U.S., cases of cervical cancer associated with HPV have dropped 40% (CDC,2024). Ideally, the vaccine is given to a child over 9 years old before they have sex for the first time. This reduces the chance they will develop diseases associated with HPV if  they are exposed to it. The vaccine still works after someone has had sex, but each partner you have while unvaccinated could be a new exposure to HPV. The vaccine can’t cure HPV, only prevent someone from getting it. If you already have HPV when you get the vaccine, it can only reduce your risk of getting new types in the future. It also doesn’t offer as much protection from HPV related cancers. 

The vaccine is delivered as a series of shots at your doctor’s office, pharmacy, or a reproductive health clinic, like Planned Parenthood. The number of shots needed depends on how old you are when you start the vaccine series. 

  • 9-14 years old: 2 shots, 6-12 months apart.
  • 15-26 years old: 3 shots, all within 6 months.

Even if you can’t complete the full vaccine schedule, getting one shot of the HPV vaccine still helps protect you from HPV and cancer.

The HPV vaccine is not generally recommended for people over 26. Your doctor may suggest it depending on your personal medical history and risk factors. If you’re trying to get the HPV vaccine as an adult, it’s a good idea to call your doctor’s office in advance to make sure they have it. Because the vaccine is most effective when given in childhood, your doctor may not carry it if they don’t see kids. If your doctor doesn’t have it in stock, they may be able to order it, or refer you to a reproductive health clinic or pharmacy that has the vaccine. Insurance companies are required to cover the vaccine for people up to age 26. Some insurances may cover it for those up to age 45. Calling your insurance company and asking about coverage of Gardasil9 (CPT:90651) is the best way to ensure it’s affordable for you. 

The HPV vaccine is also available for free through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. 

Conclusion 

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause several types of cancer, including cervical, penile, head/neck and anal cancers. An effective vaccine is available to prevent HPV and the cancers it causes. The HPV vaccine is now recommended for all people under 26 years of age, regardless of gender identity or sex assigned at birth. If you’re over 26, your doctor may still recommend it based on your personal medical history. The HPV vaccine is particularly important for TGD people, because they may be more likely to have high risk strains of HPV and less likely to get cancer screening tests on the recommended schedule. Getting the HPV vaccine not only protects you from cancer, but also prevents spreading HPV to your sexual partners and protects your loved ones.  

Places to get the HPV vaccine in the Charlotte Area:

References 

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