Study: HPV vaccine does not appear to induce risky behavior

 

A recent survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that HPV vaccination among teenage girls does not increase their chances of having unprotected sex.

Authors of the study gathered information from 1,200 females between the ages of 15 and 24. About 30 percent of the teenagers had received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, compared to 15 percent of women in their 20s.

The researchers discovered that respondents who had been vaccinated were actually more likely to use a condom during intercourse than their counterparts who had not received the inoculation.

"This survey represents a snapshot in time, and we cannot rule out the possibility that the HPV vaccine leads to sexual risk taking," said researcher Nicole C. Liddon, Ph.D., quoted by the news source. "But this should help calm concerns of parents and (healthcare) providers to some degree."

The Mayo Clinic reports that two different strains of HPV are the leading causes of cervical cancer.

Additionally, the vaccine was recently approved for use in boys in an effort to eradicate the virus.