When I was 12 years old, the only thing I was worrying about was how to pass my 8th grade exams and whether the boy I liked was going to ask me to the graduation dance. I wasn’t thinking about HPV, or human papillomavirus—the most common sexually transmitted disease.
However, the HPV vaccine has been approved for girls since 2006 and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are recommending that boys 11-12 get the routine vaccination to prevent the sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer. But are kids 11-12 really that sexually active that we should be worrying about this already?
Read more ¿Qué más? Balancing my realism with my daughter’s drive.
It’s a controversial topic, but Health experts have a good reason for asking pre-teen boys and girls to get the vaccine: their hope is that the rate of infection will decrease in the general population.
“About half of all sexually active adults will get HPV in their lifetime. There are more than 100 types of HPV, and most clear the body on their own, but some strains can linger and lead to cervical, anal or oral cancer.”
Read more ¿Qué más? You have to talk to your daughter about her body, even if your mother didn't talk to you.
With the danger of cancer and almost half of the population getting HPV at some point, it’s hard to argue with their logic. But, still I wonder: are our boys too young to worry about it at that age?
Would you get your tween or teen son the HPV vaccine, per the CDC’s recommendation, or do you think they’re going too far?
Image via stevendepolo/flickr
