Most recent by Amy Middleman, MD, MPH
HPV vaccination: No good reason to wait
If you examine the primary causes of morbidity and mortality among adolescents aged 15 to 24 years, infectious diseases are not at the top of the list. Instead, motor vehicle accidents top the list. Armed with this information, adolescent medicine providers (and most primary care providers) counsel their patients regarding the use of seat belts and safe driving practices. Of all of the behaviors we could change among youth, it is possible that this preventive strategy might affect the most lives. Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents continue to kill our youth; the efficacy of our counseling may not be as high as we consistently hope it is.
Adolescents and HPV vaccine: No good reason to wait
If you examine the primary causes of morbidity and mortality among adolescents aged 15 to 24 years, infectious diseases are not at the top of the list. Instead, motor vehicle accidents top the list. Armed with this information, adolescent medicine providers (and most primary care providers) counsel their patients regarding the use of seat belts and safe driving practices. Of all of the behaviors we could change among youth, it is possible that this preventive strategy might affect the most lives. Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents continue to kill our youth; the efficacy of our counseling may not be as high as we consistently hope it is.