The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and its variants cause the majority of cervical cancer cases among women, including teenagers.

HPV is sexually transmitted, and a girl can be infected even after a single act of sexual intimacy.

Early in 2007, the new Gardasil vaccine for HPV became available to girls and women, making cervical cancer a disease that can be prevented by a vaccination.

The Gardasil vaccine protects girls against two of the cancer-causing HPV types, as well as the two types that cause genital warts. The vaccine is 100 percent effective with no side effects, except mild discomfort at the injection site.

Free clinics to immunize girls aged 13-19 against HPV were held at the Burien Youth Health Center during November and December.

We will be scheduling other such clinics for 2008, but any needed vaccine, including Gardasil, is available during business hours.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the nation, with an estimated 46 percent of women infected by age 25. Even young women who do not develop cancer from HPV may still be profoundly affected by the virus.

An abnormal Pap test result (a test done as part of a woman's gynecological exam to determine if she is positive for HPV) along with a sexually transmitted infection is emotionally stressful to any woman.

A woman with HPV may be tested every 6-12 months to determine if the virus is persisting. If her HPV infection does persist past one year, she may typically have to undergo one or more surgical procedures, including a colposcopy and biopsy, which can be expensive and anxiety provoking.

The key to preventing cervical cancer is for young women to be vaccinated before they are infected with HPV.

As University of Washington Professor Laura Koutsky, the developer of the HPV vaccine, said in a recent article in The Seattle Times, "It would be a travesty if we have this highly safe and effective vaccine and it doesn't get used."

At the Burien Youth Health Center (Highline Medical Group Clinic), our plan is to raise awareness across age, race and socioeconomic status about HPV prevention.

Our hope is to decrease the number of abnormal Pap Tests and cervical cancer in our community.

All aspects of adolescent medicine, physical exams, well child exams, and family planning services, are available at the Youth Health Center.

We provide free immunizations to girls 13-19 at 457 S.W. 148th St., Suite 203, in Burien. Our hours of operation are Monday-Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 9:30 through 7:15 p.m., and Fridays 9:30 until 1:30 p.m. Please call 206-439-9300 to reserve your vaccination.

_Patricia Burke, P.A.-C, is a Physician Assistant, board certified in Family Practice, specializing in Adolescent Medicine at the Burien Youth Health Center (Highline Medical Group).