We all want our daughters to make good decisions, and to protect them the best we can from the risks of teenage life, including unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). While parents want to provide their daughters with the best protection available, some parents think that vaccinating their daughter against HPV will increase the chances that she’ll engage risky sexual behaviors because she thinks she’s “safe.”
Extensive research recently released by the Canadian Medial Association’s Journal, though, shows that this parental thinking is untrue and potentially dangerous for daughters.
The Study
The study, which is the largest yet on if the HPV vaccine alters teenage behavior, found no significant increase in risky sexual behaviors, such as heighted promiscuity and neglected condom use, in girls who received the vaccination compared to those who did not. Over 128,000 teenaged girls were tracked for the study. The girls had received the received the vaccine in 2007 and 2008 through Ontario’s implemented 8th grade vaccination program. They were tracked for four and a half years and compared to girls in the two previous school years (2005/2006) who were not vaccinated.
The results of the study echoed the results of a smaller study on the topic performed in the US: strong evidence that being vaccinated doesn’t impact the rates of girls who engage is risky sexual behavior.
HPV
While you may think that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) only happens to the sexually promiscuous, over half of all adults will contract HPV sometime during their lifetime according to the FDA. Most HPV goes away on its own, often without symptoms, but a few strands of HPV can cause cancer. The HPV vaccine helps protect against these dangerous strands of the infection , which cause about 90% of all cervical cancer cases. Learn more about HPV.
Protect Your Daughter
The best way to prepare your daughter for her teenage years is to have continual, healthy dialogue with her about the risks and responsibility of sexual activity, while also taking available steps (like the HPV vaccine) to help protect her. Helping your daughter establish healthy relationship with herself and her body also involves a trusting relationship with a well woman care provider. The ACOG recommends that girls have their first well woman visit around the age of 12.
Learn more about the first well woman checkup.
At Gainesville’s All About Women, our expert team of providers is here to help both you and your daughter through the nerve wracking teenage years. Contact us today to learn more about the HPV vaccine, first gynecological visits, and more.
