The New ‘Talk’ with Your Sons and Daughters

Don’t be surprised if your pediatrician urges your children get the HPV vaccine at their next well visit.

In what they referred to as a “call to action,” a joint statement issued Thursday by a group of National Cancer Institute-designated centers recommends all boys and girls receive three doses of the HPV vaccine at either ages 11 or 12.

Their recommendations say children can get their first dose of the vaccine starting at age 9, and should receive all shots before their 13th birthday.

While the HPV vaccine is more effective the earlier it is given, young women who receive it up until age 26 and young men until age 21 will still benefit, according to the recommendations.

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Boston-area mother Christine Curtain told LifeZette, “My pediatrician recommended it for my now 13-year-old and he has received his first dose. There were no negative side effects from the first shot. If it prevents cancer, I’m going to give it to him.”

Linda Burns, another Boston-area mother, said, “Both my daughter’s pediatrician and her GYN have their daughters and sons get it, but they waited until their children were 15. That was their suggestion to me, to get it done, but not until age 15.”

Proving that early reproductive care has hit the cultural health zeitgeist, a writer and sex-education speaker is even evoking princesses to make a point about reproductive health and children by drawing a series of images of Disney characters visiting the OB/GYN.

“Almost every day, my timeline on social media is bombarded with reimagined Disney princesses in one way or another, and most people get a huge kick out of it,” Danielle Sepulveres told Forbes.com. “So one day it hit me — had anyone ever drawn them going to the gynecologist before?”

Here’s a quick primer on HPV for anyone who needs it.

HPV stands for human papillomavirus, and it’s the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is a different virus than HIV or herpes, and is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many different types of HPV, and some cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.

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HPV infections are responsible for a majority of cervical, anal and oropharyngeal cancers. Some 27,000 patients are diagnosed each year with an HPV-related cancer.

Seventy-nine million people in the U.S. are currently infected with HPV, according to health officials estimates, and there are 14 million new infections each year.

All of this now has 69 of the nation’s leading cancer research and treatment facilities vouching for the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine. They include such highly regarded and influential organizations such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and the St. Jude Research Children’s Hospital.

“Together, we, the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers, recognize these low rates of HPV vaccination as a serious public health threat. HPV vaccination represents a rare opportunity to prevent many cases of cancer that is tragically underused,” said the joint statement.

Americans right now are not vaccinating their children at a very high rate for HPV. Four out of 10 girls and 6 out of 10 boys are unvaccinated for HPV.

Compare that to other countries in the developed world. In Europe, Portugal and the United Kingdom, HPV vaccination coverage rates topped 80 percent in 2010, according to a report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Denmark and Italy ranged from 50 to 60 percent; France, Luxembourg and Norway were 30 percent or more.

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Some of the 69 cancer centers also issued their own statements about the new recommendations. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center said its leaders hope the move will effect change in public health to reach an 80 percent nationwide goal for HPV vaccination rates.

“Most Americans are exposed to HPV at some point in their lifetimes,” Dr. Lois Ramondetta, professor of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at MD Anderson, said in a statement. “HPV infection is really just part of being human. That is why it is so important to have our children vaccinated, to protect them from a number of cancers in the future.”

Not everyone is on board, however. There are as many different views on health topics and kids as there are mothers.

Jessica Moreira Aiello, a mom and wife from Boston, told LifeZette, “Having worked in cytology for years, I will not allow my children to receive the vaccine. Bottom line, it does not prevent cancer; it only prevents contracting the human papillomavirus.”

Some worry about reactions from the injection itself.

“My son was 11 when he got the first dose. He had a reaction, not serious. It was huge rash covering the entire upper arm and was hot to the touch,” said Michelle Greenwalt, a mom in the Boston area. “We decided to not get the two additional shots.”