The HPV Vaccine & Boys
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Comment| Wednesday, March 28th, 2007 | Kristen DiPaolo | CWK Producer |
“I think [the HPV vaccine] is extremely safe. I prescribe a lot of it in my practice and no one has had any adverse side effects that I know about.”
– Dr. Scott Parry, D.O., Internal Medicine
HPV, or the human papilloma virus, is a sexually transmitted infection with few symptoms.
14-year-old Eric Sinsley learned about it in health class.
“They just told us that it effects the girls, their cervixes and it can develop into cervical cancer,” says Eric.
HPV is the cause of cervical cancer. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control is recommending that girls age nine to 26 protect themselves with a new vaccine.
But what about boys?
“I didn’t even think about it because I heard it was for girls,” says Eric’s mother, Debbie Sinsley.
Doctors say HPV does cause cancer in men - but it’s not as common.
“In males we are talking about penile, and for some, anal cancer,” says Dr. Scott Parry of Intown Primary Care in Atlanta. “Which, as people get older in their 50’s and 60’s and 70’s, you don’t hear a lot about - but it is actually more prevalent than people know.”
And the vaccine can protect boys from genital warts, which are caused by HPV.
One more reason to vaccinate boys? To keep girls safe.
“Where are girls getting it from? Guys,” says Dr. Parry. “Where are guys getting it from? For the most part, girls.”
Right now, the FDA has approved the vaccine only for young girls.
But some doctors are already giving it to their male patients. “I think it’s extremely safe,” says Parry. “I prescribe a lot of it in my practice and no one has had any adverse side effects that I know about.”
Eric’s mom says if the vaccine wins FDA approval for boys she’ll consider having her son vaccinated.
“I don’t know that I’d be the first one out there, you know, in line getting my son vaccinated,” she says, “but I would certainly listen to his pediatrician. If he said do it, then I would do it.”
Side effects to the vaccine include fever, nausea and fainting. Patients need a series of three shots over a six-month period, totaling around $360.
Tips for Parents
- Since most people do become sexually active at some point in their lives, parents who opt to get kids the vaccine should explain to their children that they would need the vaccine to protect them when they are adults. Clinical trials show that the vaccine produces a good antibody response in early adolescence; so it may be a good time to get children vaccinated. (Lauri Markowitz, M.D., Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control)
- Explain to children that this vaccine will not protect them against all sexually transmitted infections, or even all strains of HPV. It does, however, protect against the strains that lead to cervical cancer 70 percent of the time. (Lauri Markowitz, M.D., Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control)
- The Centers for Disease Control is currently recommending that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine. However, the agency says the vaccine is safe and FDA-approved for all females ages nine to 26. Merck, which manufactures the vaccine (Gardasil), is currently testing its safety and effectiveness for boys ages nine to 26. (Centers for Disease Control)
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Food and Drug Administration
- Scott Parry, D.O., Intown Primary Care, Atlanta
