I am 20 years old, what vaccines do I need to get to prevent diseases before having sex? (Thu Huong, Nam Dinh)
To answer your question, we first need to cover sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In Vietnam, common diseases include gonorrhea, Chlamydia, genital herpes, hepatitis B, genital warts and diseases caused by HPV…
Among them, hepatitis B virus and HPV are found in vaginal secretions, saliva and semen. The virus can be transmitted through oral and anal sex.
According to statistics, 80% of women are at risk of HPV infection at least once during their lifetime. The highest infection rate is at 20-30 years old, possibly up to 20-25%. HPV is present in 99.7% of cervical cancer cases, more than 70% of vulvar cancer cases.
Hepatitis B virus has the ability to spread 50 to 100 times faster than HIV. People with hepatitis B are at risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Full vaccination helps prevent some sexually transmitted diseases. Image: Moc Thao
Gonorrhea is also common in sexually active people. Patients may experience health problems such as reproductive effects, increased risk of HIV infection or transmission, pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility.
Currently, hepatitis B and HPV have preventative vaccines in Vietnam. In particular, the HPV vaccine is up to 94% effective in preventing disease, preventing 9 high-risk HPV types. You need to complete 3 injections in 6 months. The hepatitis B vaccine is 95% effective, adults need to get 3 shots in 6 months and repeat when antibodies decrease.
In addition, you can get vaccinated against group B meningococcal disease to prevent urethritis and help create cross-immunity with gonorrhea. According to research published in the journal Lancet As of July 2022, group B meningococcal vaccine is 32-40% effective in protecting against gonorrhea. You can get this vaccine with a regimen of 2 shots 1 month apart.
Vaccines should be given as early as possible. You should not wait until you want to have sex before getting vaccinated. At that time, the vaccine will not provide the best protection, and you will lose the opportunity to prevent the disease early.