Experts say that approaching the subject of the HPV Vaccine with your children should be the same as with any other vaccine. It is important to explain that the HPV vaccine is a safe and effective shot that protects males and females from several types of cancer over their lifetime.
The HPV vaccine prevents infection from strains of HPV that cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal and oropharyngeal (throat) cancers. It also protects against strains that cause genital warts.
All males and females ages 9–26 should get the HPV vaccine. It is most effective when given at ages 11–12. Unvaccinated men and women ages 27–45 can also get the HPV vaccine and should talk to their doctor about the benefits of the vaccine.
But some parents are hesitant to get their children vaccinated because they associate the HPV vaccine with sexual activity or fear potential side effects. Understandably, the conversation can get awkward, experts believe it may be best to leave sex out of the conversation if you’re not comfortable talking about it.
Still, HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. It is so common that almost 80% of men and women get the disease at some point. It can be spread through vaginal or oral sex as well as intimate skin-to-skin contact and kissing. Although most cases of HPV clear up on their own, some can stay in the system and cause genital warts or cancer.
When discussing the HPV vaccine with your children, it’s important to stress that the vaccine is for cancer prevention over the course of their lifetime.
Source: https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on...

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