Study confirms that there is no link between HPV vaccine and increased sexual activity

Since the introduction of the vaccine designed to protect against the human papillomavirus (HPV), some parents have had concerns that the shot will encourage promiscuity. Many individuals were uncomfortable with the idea of giving the HPV shot to children as young as 12, because they believed that it would be giving kids the "green light" to have sex. However, according to a recent study published in the journal Vaccine, there is no evidence that the HPV shot leads to an increase in sexual activity.

Researchers examined more than 1,000 young girls in the U.K. with a mean age of 17 to come to their conclusions. More than 400 of them had been offered the HPV vaccine, while 620 had not. Those who had been offered the shot were no more likely to engage in sexual activity than the other group.

Furthermore, the scientists also found that those who had been vaccinated were no more likely to change their use condom use. This is an important finding, since the HPV vaccine does not protect against any other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), so individuals who receive it should still practice safer sex and visit STD testing centers.

In 2011, the New York Daily News reported on a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine that came to similar conclusions as these recent findings. Researchers from the National Survey of Family Growth examined 1,200 women between the ages of 15 and 24, which found no link between sexual activity and HPV vaccination. At the time, the scientists said that more research was needed to confirm that HPV did not lead to more young girls having sex. Now, this new study has shed more light on this issue.