HPV Vaccine Makes Girls “Think Twice” Before Having Sex

January 7, 2010 by Elizabeth Donovan, M. A.
Filed under Health & Body, Hot Pink Topic

By: Elizabeth Donovan, M.A.

Since it’s introduction to the health care market, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine (also known as Gardasil) has certainly caused it’s share of controversy for parents of tween and teenage daughters. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls ages 9-12 to help protect them against cervical cancer and the sexually transmitted disease (STD) genital warts.

Parents concerns over the vaccine stem from both medical and psychological issues. Though the HPV vaccine has been licensed by the FDA and approved by CDC, much of the controversy surrounds the medical safety of HPV (there have been at least 21 deaths) and whether or not it would have a reverse psychological effects on how girls view sex. Many parents fear that if their daughters receive the vaccine, they will become promiscious or feel that they can safely have sex because they have had the vaccine.

Psychologically speaking, parents can breath a small sigh of relief. A new study by the University of Manchester (published in the British Journal of Cancer) last year found that nearly 80% of girls who received the Gardasil said that having the HPV vaccine made them think twice about the risks of having sex. The survey focused on the girls feelings, not their parents, and helped debunk the notion that girls might begin to have sex younger if they were vaccinated. Girls interviewed for the study said that instead of wanting to have sex, the vaccine highlighted the risks of having sex for most of the girls interviewed.

The study also focused on the importance of parental involvement and communication with their daughters. Nearly four in five girls said they discussed having the HPV vaccine with their parents and came to a mutual decision together. Regardless of whether parents chose to get their daughter vaccinated, talking about it together is a step in the right direction.

Certainly the choice to vaccinate or forgo HPV vaccination with your daughter is a highly personal one with potential consequences on either side of the argument. However, this study is certainly significant in helping parents understand that the psychological aspects of vaccination are actually more positive than negative.