HPV Vaccination Rates Still Low for Boys

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Less than 15 percent of pediatricians and family physicians surveyed reported routinely recommending the vaccine for males ages 9 to 26, whereas about 50 percent said they recommend the vaccine to females in the same age group. "While vaccinating males may benefit female partners, it is critical for physicians and parents to recognize the positive health impacts for males and females," said Susan Vadaparampil, a researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, and senior author on the report, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Vadaparampil said HPV can significantly raise men's risk of penile and anal cancers and that the virus also raises the risk of head and neck cancers in men more than it does in women. Read More http://ift.tt/1xKTGij