[Vaccination against human papillomavirus]

Cervical cancer necessary cause is an HPV infection and it always progress from preinvasive to invasive carcinoma. Vaccines are composed of virus-like particles L1. They are well tolerated and effective in preventing HPV 16/18 infections and related cervical diseases in young women naive to HPV 16/18 after over 10 years of follow-up. In addition, the quadrivalent vaccine prevents from HPV 6 novembre infections and their consequences. Young girls before sexual debut are the main target for prophylactic vaccines. Indeed, they demonstrate an excellent immune response after injection, the prevalence of HPV infection increases dramatically after the first sexual intercourse and vaccines are ineffective on existing lesions or in healthy virus carriers. Prophylactic vaccines are not effective in women infected by other oncogenic HPV even if cross-protection is obtained with a limited number of them. Prophylactic vaccination against HPV is effective, well tolerated, and must be associated to screening for optimizing the prevention of cervical cancer.