"Should a parent have their teen vaccinated against HPV?"  

This is a question I get at almost every one of my question/answer sessions with parents.  

HPV (human papillomavirus) is the most common STD. The majority of people with HPV are in their late teens and early 20s. Most people don't get any symptoms and have no idea they have it yet remain very contagious.  

HPV may cause warts or cancer. Cancer often takes years-even decades-to develop after a person gets HPV.  

The good news? There is a vaccine and recent studies show it to be effective. Since the vaccine was introduced, HPV prevalence dropped 56% among teen girls between the ages of 14 and 19.  

The bad news? Recent studies show that even though 96% of doctors recommended the vaccine, only about a third of teen girls have been fully vaccinated.  

The reason? Parents are declining it. I believe parents see it as counter to the value of saving sex for marriage. It's like condoms or birth control in teenagers.  

There are some important differences.  

First, the HPV vaccine happens over one six-month period which will likely be many years before the initiation of sexual activity. Condoms and birth control are on-going and therefore an ever-present reminder during sexual decision making.  

Second, the HPV vaccine doesn't even need to be known by a teen to be effective. Condoms and birth control require a great deal of explanation and teaching to a teenager to be effective.  

Finally, the HPV vaccine given to a teenager is helpful even when the teen saves sex for marriage. A future spouse may not have waited (and may not be truthful about waiting), and the vaccine would protect against consequences. Unfortunately, sexual assault is a real possibility in our culture, and the vaccine would protect against adding HPV to the long list of horrible consequences.  

I believe you should always consult your doctor for these decisions. If your doctor concurs, I believe the HPV vaccine to be a good course of action for our children.  

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, July 20). HPV Vaccine - Questions & Answers. Retrieved from Vaccines & Immunizations: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/hpv/vac-faqs.htm) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013, March 18). Genital HPV Infection - Fact Sheet. Retrieved from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm) (Markowitz, L., Hariri, S., Lin, C., Dunne, E., Steinau, M., McQuillan, G., & Unger, E. (2013, August). Reduction in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Prevalence Among Young Women Following HPV Vaccine Introduction in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2003-2010. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 208(3), 385-393. doi:10.1093/infdis/jit192 ) (Perkins, R., Anderson, B., Borin, S. S., & Schulkin, J. (2013, August). Challenges in Cervical Cancer Prevention: A Survey of U.S. Obstetrician-Gynecologists. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 45(2), 175-181. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2013.03.019)