HPV vaccine: What you should know

The HPV vaccine is a three-dose series that ideally is given to children between the ages of 11 and 12, to combat the various strains of HPV, according to the CDC. The vaccine can be given to women up to age 26 years, and to men up to age 21 years.

Healio.com/Family Medicine presents five “fast facts” about the vaccine.

1. HPV vaccine coverage low among adolescent girls in commercial, Medicaid health plans

HPV vaccine coverage rates among the majority of adolescent girls aged at least 13 years in the United States are low across managed care insurance plans. HPV vaccine coverage levels varied by provider type, with commercial plans reporting a median coverage rate of 12% vs. 19% for Medicaid plans. The greatest performance rate for a Medicaid plan was 52%, compared with 34% for a commercial plan. Read more.

2. Less than 15% of adolescent boys complete HPV vaccination

In 2013, approximately two-thirds of boys aged 13 to 17 years had not received the HPV vaccination. Boys are often unvaccinated due to lack of physician recommendation or lack of explanation regarding the vaccination benefits, according to the researchers. Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic boys were more likely to receive HPV vaccinations compared with non-Hispanic white boys, according to the researchers. Additionally, boys whose mothers were widowed, divorced or separated were more likely to receive the vaccination. Read more.

3. HPV vaccine does not increase risk for miscarriage

In Costa Rica, women who became pregnant within 90 days of receiving the bivalent HPV vaccination were not at increased risk for miscarriage. Results demonstrated that 3,394 pregnancies were conceived after bivalent HPV vaccination, with 381 conceived within 90 days of vaccination. Among all pregnancies, 451 ended in miscarriage, of which 50 (13.1%) were conceived within 90 days of vaccination. Read more.

4. HPV vaccination unlikely to promote risky teen sexual behavior

Girls who received HPV vaccination had higher rates of sexually transmitted infections before and after vaccination compared with their unvaccinated peers, suggesting that vaccination does not promote unsafe sexual activity. Females who later were vaccinated against HPV had a rate of 1.6 STIs per 1,000 population vs. 0.9 STIs per 1,000 population among their unvaccinated peers. Read more.

5. HPV vaccine offers multisite protection, even among previously exposed women

HPV vaccination of women aged 18 to 25 years provides strong combined protection against HPV 16/18 infection at three anatomical sites among those with and without prior HPV exposure. Previous data from the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial demonstrated strong efficacy against HPV 16/18 at the cervical, anal and oral regions separately, according to study background. However, the combined efficacy of infections at all three anatomic sites had not previously been measured in women with or without prior HPV 16/18 exposure. Read more.