Let’s Talk HPV Vaccine!

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To kick off #hpvpreventionweek 2022 I wanted to put together a more comprehensive post going over the reasons why the HPV vaccine is recommended so broadly for teenagers and young adults.

Unfortunately, despite the really clear reduction in infection and subsequent reduction in risk of cancer, the rate at which parents are saying no to their children getting vaccinated against HPV is increasing. In fact, between 2015 and 2018 the percentage of parents who chose not to vaccinate their child(ren) and cited worry about the risks as the reason, increased by 10%.

I believe in parents understanding what is being given to their children.

My concern is that parents aren’t fully aware of just how few risks there are for a chance to prevent a future cancer diagnosis.

I am also concerned that parents don’t realize that the vaccine is given early because it’s found to be more effective that way even if they aren’t exposed until years later.

I am also concerned that more conservative-leaning parents may feel that if they teach more controlled sexual behavior (i.e. abstinence) that vaccination against a sexually transmitted virus is irrelevant.

With all that said, join me in learning more about HPV vaccination! I compiled all this information myself over the past few weeks. Some of the numbers come from the CDC website, others from clinical trial data, and others still from post-licensure analysis of VAERS reports (one of these is behind a pay-wall). My goal is to provide you with a landing upon which you can feel more comfortable with your decision to vaccinate against HPV.