TO 16 years old wouldn’t it be better to do an HPV test before getting the vaccine? Maybe the girl has already had intercourse without her parents knowing.
Doctor Monica Calcagni responds
I’m there Doctor Monica Calcagni, Surgeon specializing in Gynecology and Obstetrics. For over twenty years I have accompanied women in every phase of their lives with competence, listening and passion. I graduated with honors fromUniversity of Rome “Tor Vergata”where I also obtained a specialization in Obstetrics and Gynecology with honors and a II level Master’s degree in Aesthetic Medicine, as well as various specialist certifications.
In my job I deal with everything related to gynecological health: from prevention to contraception, from pregnancy to birth assistance, up to obstetric and gynecological ultrasound. I’m a non-objecting doctor and I have always been committed to protection of women’s health and rights.
Alongside my clinical activity, I also carry out my educational activity, with scientific publications and three books aimed at the general public. I have written three books: My journey alongside women (Maggioli Editore, 2025), More woman, less break (Sperling&Kupfer, 2024) e Women’s things (Sperling&Kupfer, 2022).
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Doctor Monica Calcagni
Is it better to do an HPV test before the human papilloma virus vaccine?
It is an understandable and very common doubt among parents: if a 16-year-old girl has already had intercourse, perhaps without telling her family, wouldn’t it be more prudent to first do an HPV test to understand if she has contracted the virus?
The answer, according to all scientific guidelines, is no: theHPV testing it is not needed before vaccination. I’ll tell you why.
The HPV vaccine works best when given at a young agepreferably before the start of sexual intercourse, but remains useful even afterwards. This is because there are many strains of HPV: even if a girl has already encountered the virus, it is extremely unlikely that she has come into contact with all the types that the vaccine protects against. In other words: even in the presence of a possible infection, vaccination still has great preventive value.
Papilloma virus: things to know
Another important point is that the HPV test at 16 years old is not indicative. Many HPV infections, in fact, are transient and are eliminated spontaneously by the immune system without leaving traces. Taking a test at this age could only lead to “positive” results which do not change the prevention strategy, but risk generating unnecessary anxiety.
For this reason, scientific societies and screening programs in Italy and Europe are clear: theHPV testing as a prevention test starts much later, usually from the age of 30when the risk of the infection becoming persistent and potentially dangerous is greater.
So, although it cannot be ruled out that a girl of 16 years old has already had intercourse, the recommendation remains that of proceed with vaccination without the need for preliminary tests. It is an important, safe act of prevention, which drastically reduces the risk of developing precancerous lesions and cervical cancer in the future.
In summary: no HPV test is needed before the vaccine, even if there are doubts about sexual intercourse. The vaccine remains a valuable investment in health, even in adolescence.