Parents are less likely to vaccinate their adolescent boys than girls with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. They are also twice as likely to report their main reason as a lack of provider recommendation, according to a study results presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology 2018 Annual Meeting on Women?s Cancer.
The study by Anna Beavis, MD, MPH, an SGO member and gynecologic oncologist fellow at Johns Hopkins University and colleagues, shows that one in five parents of adolescent boys report that they do not intend to vaccinate their child with the HPV vaccination primarily because they did not get a physicians recommendation to do so compared to one in ten parents of adolescent girls.
… It’s imperative that physicians need to give a strong recommendation to both parents of boys and girls to be vaccinated …
“The HPV vaccine protects adolescents from HPV, a virus that causes cervical cancer as well as other cancers such as vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all children between the ages of 11 and 12 to be vaccinated. It can be given as three doses if started after the child?s 15th birthday, or just two doses if started before,” Beavis noted.
Statistics presented by Beavis are from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen), a national survey of parents of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years old that is used to track vaccination rates in the United States. The survey, collected in 2015, contains reported reasons why parents do not vaccinate teens.
?It is clear that physicians need to give a strong recommendation to both parents of boys and girls,? Beavis explained.
?They also need to remind parents of the importance of getting all doses, which makes the vaccine the most effective in preventing HPV,? Beavis pointed out.
In her presentation she also pointed to parents? general concern about the vaccine for both genders.
?In general, the most common reason parents do not vaccinate both boys and girls was a misperception that the HPV vaccine is not necessary, which is reported by 20% of parents of girls and 10% of parents of boys,? Beavis note.
She also showed that 13% of parents of both boys and girls have a lack of knowledge about the vaccine.
Beavis pointed to the importance of physicians? educating parents on the necessity and safety of the vaccine. In her study, parents of girls were more likely to report a concern about safety or side effects, and a concern for their child?s current lack of sexual activity compared to parents of boys.
In the United States, the HPV vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in girls in 2006 and boys in 2009, and is recommended as a routine childhood vaccination for the prevention of HPV-related cancers.
For example, Australia is close to eradicating cervical cancer according to the International Papillamavirus Society. According to an article published by the Guardian titled ?Australia could become first country to eradicate cervical cancer,? and ?78.6% of 15-year old girls and 72.9% of 15-year old boys have been vaccinated? in that country.
?Unfortunately, HPV vaccination rates in the United States continue to lag behind those of other Westernized nations,? Beavis said.
?The most recent data from 2016 NIS-Teen shows that only 65% of girls had initiated the HPV vaccination compared to 56 percent of boys,? she added
Beavis emphasizes that a strong recommendation from a physician could change that.
Last Editorial Review: March 30, 2018
Featured Image:?Human Papilloma Virus vaccine with syringe in vial at a clinic. Courtesy: ? 2010 – 2018 Fotolia. Used with permission.
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