Do you know why boys need HPV vaccine too?
A lot of parents know that HPV vaccine protects girls against cervical cancer. But did you know that vaccinating boys can protect them against cancer, too?
HPV is short for human papillomavirus, a common virus in both women and men. HPV can cause cancers of the anus, mouth/throat (oropharyngeal cancer), and penis in men. Every year, over 9,000 men are affected by cancers caused by HPV.
Cases of anal cancer and cancers of the mouth/throat are also on the rise. In fact, if current trends continue, the annual number of cancers of the mouth/throat attributed to HPV is expected to surpass the annual number of cervical cancers by 2020.1
Many of the cancers caused by HPV infection could be prevented by HPV vaccine.
One HPV vaccine—Gardasil—is recommended by doctors and health experts for boys at ages 11-12 to prevent infection with HPV that could lead to cancer. HPV vaccine also helps prevent most cases of genital warts. HPV vaccination of boys is also likely to benefit girls by reducing the spread of HPV infection.
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/hpvvaccineboys/
