The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently gave its stamp of approval for routine vaccination against HPV (human papillomavirus) for preteen and teen girls. Called Gardasil, the vaccine provides protection against four types of HPV, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world. HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer and genital warts, affecting more than half of sexually active people at some point in their lives — about 6.2 million people each year.
The AAP’s 2007 childhood immunization schedule recommends vaccination for girls 11 to 12 years old and "catch-up immunization" for girls 13–18. Given as three injections over a 6-month period, the vaccine is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent cervical cancer in females between 9 and 26 years of age.
But what if your daughter isn't sexually active and may not be for a long time? Actually, the HPV vaccine has the best chance of protecting against infection if the series of shots is given before a female becomes sexually active.
Girls may contract HPV in their teenage or young adult years — through intimate sexual contact, such as vaginal, oral, or anal sex — and then develop cervical cancer years later.
HPV can sometimes also lead to genital warts, but often there are no physical signs of infection. When there are symptoms, genital warts can appear as painless, flesh-colored growths or bumps that appear in and around the vagina, anus, or on the cervix in females and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh in males.
Men infected with HPV can also be at risk for cancer of the penis and the anus, though there is no vaccine currently available for males.
What This Means to You
If you have any questions about the vaccine, and whether it's appropriate for your daughter, talk with your doctor. Also make sure your child continues to get routine checkups and, if she’s sexually active, regular Pap smears.
Like most STDs, HPV infections and genital warts can be prevented by not having sex or by having sex only with one uninfected partner. Condoms offer some protection against HPV, but they can't completely prevent infections because the warts can be outside of the area protected by the condom. Spermicidal foams, creams, and jellies have not been proven to protect against HPV and genital warts.
The best time to start talking to your child about sex and STDs is during the preteen or middle school years. Although it may feel awkward, having these discussions doesn't mean your child will then want to have sex. In fact, studies have proven that informed teens are not more likely to have sex, but they are more likely to practice safe sex if they do decide to become sexually active.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: January 2007
