Mom Not Another One! Why the HPV Vaccine Should be Considered for Boys and Young Men

It’s hard to keep up with recommended immunizations, without adding another one. So you’re thinking, “Now what?” The use of the HPV vaccine for boys and young men is now another one on parents’ minds.  

The most common sexually transmitted disease is HPV, or the Human Papillomavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives. With 7 out of 10 children having sex by 19 years old (according to Planned Parenthood), it is up to parents to educate their children.

Guardasil and Cervarix are vaccines that protect against HPV. There are several benefits to vaccinating your boys:

• Protect against genital warts
• Safeguard them against certain cancers (Oral, Anal, Penile, Throat, Head and Neck Cancers)

Though genital warts are not life-threatening and aren’t always cancerous, they could be embarrassing to an adolescent. In an age where appearances are dominant, mental anguish associated with genital warts could be of great concern to your child.

While in 2009 the CDC advised “permissive use” of the vaccine for boys 9 through 26 (an informal recommendation), this changed in 2010 with a “routine use recommendation” for boys 11 and 12. Additionally, protecting any future sexual partners is a consideration.

So what are your takeaways from this? In an article by Lisa Fayed on About.com’s Cancer Center, they should be:

• Less spreading of HPV
• A decrease in other types of cancer
• 89% efficacy at preventing genital warts

One more shot, sure. But are you ready for the consequences that come with NOT vaccinating your child? Contacting our office at (910) 486-5437 is your first step in protecting your most precious gift, your child.