If you could protect your child from cancer, would you? You can, with HPV vaccination.
While the HPV vaccine was initially approved for females, it was also recommended for males in 2009. HPV vaccination can help prevent boys from getting infected with the HPV types that can cause cancers of the mouth/throat, penis, and anus, as well as genital warts.
Here are five reasons boys need the HPV vaccine:
It’s just as safe for boys as it is for girls.
The HPV vaccine went through years of rigorous safety testing before it was approved. Since then, more than 120 million doses of the HPV vaccine have been given in the United States. Like any vaccine, there can be mild side effects like arm soreness and fatigue.
There is no test for HPV cancers in males.
While a pap test detects early-stage cervical cancer in women, no test exists for penile, anal, or head and neck cancers. This means that young men can be infected with HPV and not even know it.
Men also get cancers caused by HPV.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, from 2013 to 2017, there were approximately 19,000 cases of HPV-associated cancers in men.
The odds of getting HPV-related cancer increases with age.
The longer we live, the more time HPV infections have to develop into cancer. HPV vaccination offers your child the best chance for a longer, healthier life.
There are more cases of head and neck cancers than cervical cancers in the US.
Head and neck cancers are four times as common in men as they are in women, and there are now more mouth and throat cancers caused by HPV in the US than there are cervical cancers.
HPV vaccines are recommended for both males and females aged 9 to 26. If your teen isn’t vaccinated yet, or if you have any questions about the vaccine, talk to their doctor.