Help Parents Understand the HPV Vaccine

Explaining the Basics

As an educator or health professional, you can give parents clear, accurate messages about the HPV vaccine. Here are basics parents should know about HPV and the HPV vaccine.

HPV is common.

HPV stands for the Human Papillomavirus. It is a common sexually transmitted disease that is spread during sex by skin-to-skin contact.

There are many types of HPV. While most types of HPV are not harmful, some types can go on to cause cancer of the cervix, penis, anus, vagina, and the vulva.

Every year, over 11,000 women are told by their doctors that they have cancer of the cervix. And every year, over 3,000 women die of this kind of cancer.

There is a vaccine that can help prevent HPV.

There is a vaccine that can help prevent some of the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

This vaccine was tested with girls as young as 9 years old and has been shown to work well. The vaccine works best when it is given to someone who has never had sex before.

The guidelines say girls and boys should be vaccinated between the ages of 9 to 12.

The vaccine also works well with teenagers and women up to age 26. Even if young woman has had sex, she can still have the vaccine.

There are programs that can help pay for the vaccine.

You can assure parents that many insurance companies now pay for the vaccine. They may also appreciate hearing about the program Vaccines for Children. This program pays for needed vaccines for children under age 18 who qualify. You might also refer them to your local Health Department.

Women still need Pap tests.

The trouble is that the vaccine does not protect against all the types of HPV that can cause cancer of the cervix. So women still need Pap tests, whether or not they get the vaccine. You can share these guidelines with parents. Parents should encourage their daughters to:

• Start getting Pap tests when they turn 21.
• Delay having sex, because the best way to prevent HPV is to not have sex.
• Use condoms if they do have sex.
• Have sex with one partner who only has sex with her.
• Get Pap tests and exams as often as the doctor recommends.

Giving parents clear messages about the HPV vaccine can greatly help prevent cervical cancer for future generations.

You might appreciate the easy-to-read education materials you can find on CFHC’s Healthed.org.

If you are a health care provider, check out the free PDF tip sheet for providers.