Physician warns that vaccines are not enough to protect from STDs

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that 11-year-old boys be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV). This vaccine has been the subject of a great deal of controversy, as parents, teachers and healthcare providers remain divided over whether children this young need to be protected against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). 

Richard Besser. M.D., of ABC News's Healthy Living, stated that he supports the recommendation to vaccinate boys against HPV because the condition, along with being linked to an increased risk of cervical cancer, may cause oral cancer as well.

However, Jane M. Orient, M.D., executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, reminded parents that a shot alone will not be enough to protect children from STDs.

"The statistics on HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases are alarming," stated Orient. "But vaccinating children does not begin to protect them against the dangers of promiscuity."

Regardless of the public opinion on the HPV vaccine, one thing remains certain - for sexually active people, practicing safer sex is the best way to stay protected against STDs.