Almost every person who is sexually active will get human papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their life without HPV vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cervical Health Awareness Month emphasizes the importance of the HPV vaccine. American Cancer Society Senior Community Development Manager Kim Durst says cervical cancer was previously very difficult to detect and treat, but since the vaccine has been in use infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 86% among teen girls and 71% among young adult women. Durst says the vaccine is given in two doses, “We’re strongly encouraging parents to get boys and girls vaccinated starting at the ages of 11 or 12 and they can start as early as age 9, and they can also receive these vaccinations up through the age of 26. So it’s so important to get this vaccination prior to them having any type of sexual relations, obviously.”

Durst stresses that it’s important males get vaccinated as they can carry HPV. The CDC states that among vaccinated women, the percentage of cervical precancers caused by the HPV types most often linked to cervical cancer has dropped by 40%. When found early, cervical cancer is highly treatable with probable long survival.