Moms and Dads! Remember when your children received their childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis, and other diseases? Science continues to advance and today we have vaccines that can prevent a sexually transmitted virus, HPV, which causes cervical cancer and genital warts.

HPV stands for Human Papilloma Virus. It is spread to the genital area through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. There are many types of HPV and most people who are sexually active will be infected at some point in their lives. Gardasil and Cervarix are the two HPV vaccines on the market today. Both protect against the most common types of HPV which cause most cases (70%) of cervical cancer. Gardasil also protects against the two types of HPV which cause most cases (90%) of genital warts.

You may have seen commercials for it on TV or received notes from your child’s school, but who have you talked to about the HPV vaccine? Interviews with parents and young women about the vaccine revealed that many had heard about the vaccine but few had talked to someone about it. Many parents still had questions and concerns.

The HPV vaccine is administered in three shots, with the second dose 2 months after the first and the third dose 6 months after the first. The vaccine has been proven to be safe in clinical trials. It is made from an inactive protein that does not contain the virus, so one cannot become infected from getting the vaccine. Current evidence shows that the vaccine gives its best protection when given before the start of sexual activity and has been shown to produce the best level of protection against HPV when given between the ages of 9 to 15 years. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all young women, ages 9 to 26 years, regardless of whether they have initiated sexual activity, be vaccinated against HPV. Women who receive the vaccine and are sexually active need to continue to get routine Pap screening tests for cervical cancer, as recommended.

When the HPV vaccine was approved in 2006, it was only recommended for girls and young women; however, in October 2009, the CDC recommended optional vaccination for young men ages 9 to 26. While young men are not affected by cervical cancer, they can be carriers of the strain that causes cervical cancer in women and are susceptible to genital warts.

The public health vaccination program called Vaccines for Children covers the entire cost of the vaccine for youth who are Medicaid eligible, uninsured, underinsured (have insurance that doesn’t cover vaccines), or American Indian or Alaska Natives who are 18 years old and younger. Each state has different mandates regarding the requirement for parental consent for a minor to receive a vaccine.

A concern that you might have, and one that other parents share, is that getting your child vaccinated might make him or her start having sex before they would have otherwise or that they might not use condoms consistently when they do have sex. Talking to your son or daughter about the vaccine offers you a good opportunity to have a conversation about healthy sexuality. Share your values and thoughts about sex and inform them that the HPV vaccine does not prevent other kinds of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Condoms used consistently and correctly can help decrease the chance of getting and spreading STDs, including HPV.

Be confident that you know your facts about the HPV vaccine. Talk to your nurse or doctor to make an informed decision.

• It’s best to start talking to your child about healthy sexuality when your child is young, but it is never too late to start.
• Be age appropriate: For example, when your child is five, talk about love and defining body parts that they are exploring; when your child is approaching puberty, talk about physical and emotional changes that happen during this period of growth; and as your child enters adolescence talk about dating and relationships and the exploration of their bodies and sexuality.
• Use everyday opportunities that lend to “teachable” moments, for example when watching TV with your child and two characters kiss or are in bed together, ask “What do you think? Have you had similar feelings about someone? Have you kissed anyone like that?”
• Ask your child questions like “Have any of your friends started dating? When do you think is a good age to start dating?”
• Once the conversation flows, share your family values and opinions but be sure to allow space for open dialogue about the topic.
• Ask your friends who are parents how they talk about sex with their children.
• Don’t expect to cover everything in one conversation; this is a gradual and ongoing conversation. The more you talk about healthy sexuality with your child, the more he or she will grow to be comfortable talking to you and the more you will be encouraging and reinforcing healthy and protective behavior.
• Share this article with your son or daughter.

About the authors: Alis Marachelian, MPH, is director of the Health Promotion Department at Mary’s Center for Maternal & Child Care, Inc in Washington, DC. Sara Marques, MPH, is the Prevention Team Leader at the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) in Washington, D.C. This article is part of the HPV “Be Confident” campaign. The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) developed the HPV “Be Confident!” campaign with educational grant support from the Fund to Prevent Cervical Cancer and Merck & Co., Inc.