Are Pap smears and regular gynecological checkups still necessary after Gardasil?
Yes. Given that the vaccine protects only against 4 of the more than 100 types of HPV, and that these others strains of the virus can also cause cervical cancer, precancerous lesions and genital warts, it is important that girls and women who’ve been vaccinated continue to get Pap smears as recommended as well as regular gynecologic checkups for overall health issues. This is especially true for those who were sexually active before receiving the vaccine and who may have already acquired one of the 4 high-risk HPV types against which it protects.
