Hi Julia

thank you very much for your response. I will get in touch with the charity and see if they have any suggestions. My GP already said they aren't able to do it for free unfortunately, the best they could do is administer it if I bought it privately (so I guess that would save a little bit of money but still be really expensive). 
 

Money is tight so I'm trying to weigh up whether I do really need the vaccine or not. I know I may be benefiting from herd immunity at least as HPV rates have gone down considerably. Although Im a bit of a worrier, so even just for the peace of mind I think it would be worth it. Or if I don't get it, As I'm unvaccinated, im wondering if something like more frequent smear tests would be something to suggest to my doctor. 
 

im kind of concerned about the other types of cancer that HPV can cause too, as I know there's no proper screening for HPV in other areas of the body.  Ahhh I don't know what to do! :(

Hi, I hope you are keeping well. I just thought I can share my experience of HPV vaccine with you. I had it done when I was 32 after my smear test came back with abnormal cells. I had confirmed Hpv type 18 however the GP and the nurses still recommended to go for a vaccine to get protection from other types of hpv.I live in Ireland so for me the only option was to get it privately. The vaccine that I had is called Gardsil 9, it protects from more hpv types than a regular Gardsil vaccine.I needed 3 doses of it each costing around 250 euro so it is pretty expensive.If I had an option to get it done earlier I wouldn't miss it but unfortunately I didn't know much about Hpv until I received abnormal smear results. Many people have hpv without even knowing that and it will never cause any harm but for some people it might not be the case.

Hope this helps

Hi Rebecca

I am not aware of any way of getting this done without paying privately when you are over the cut off age, and it is expensive. I’m not sure where you’re getting information about “herd immunity”and rates of HPV going down, but would be really interested in knowing the source for this information since I talk daily to women about HPV and cervical cancer topics and it’s the first time I’ve heard such a statement.

If you feel you would benefit from peace of mind about having the vaccine, then it may be worth the financial cost to you. More frequent smear tests would not be an option under the nhs screening programme, which has guidelines on testing frequency which are followed quite rigidly. 

Some things to consider, in my opinion, would be that not all strains of HPV are covered by the vaccine, vaccines are not 100% effective in all cases, and there are never any guarantees. I know people who’ve had the vaccine and still have HPV, abnormal cells and cervical cancer. But if you want to limit the risk of these things then I could see why you may want to have the vaccine(s). 

It’s a very personal decision as to whether it’s worth the cost, and I’m not aware of any way of getting it for free on the nhs. . 

Hello rebeccac 1995 and thanks for getting back to us,

I can understand your dilemma, but unfortunately I don't think I can help you to resolve it. You are right that HPV rates have gone down in young women who have had the vaccine (see this link) but the vaccine doesn't work for everyone or every type of HPV  so it's not a guarantee that you may not get HPV in the future.

The majority of people who pick up HPV come to no harm because their immune system gets on top if it, but of course this isn't everyone. However women do have the chance to participate in cervical screening. The cervical screening protocols are based on good evidence and don't distinguish between women who have or haven't been vaccinated so you won't be able to get NHS screening  more often. 

I am sorry that all I can do is to leave you to mull it over. Call us if you want to have a chat. our number is  Freephone 0808 800 4040 and we are around weekdays, 9-5.

Best wishes,

Julia

Thank you so much for that very informative link to the data, Nurse Julia.