Vaccinating girls and women before sexual debut, and therefore before exposure to HPV infection, provides an excellent opportunity to decrease the incidence of cervical cancer over time. As these vaccines protect against HPV types responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers, there will be a continued need to screen women who have been vaccinated as well as those who have not been vaccinated. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to cervical cancer prevention and control should involve vaccinating girls and women before sexual debut, and screening women for precancerous lesions and treatment before progression to invasive disease
