The vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is in the news again. The advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the routine vaccination of boys ages 11 to 21 against HPV. Here are five reasons why you should consider this vaccine for your preteen or teenage son:

1. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Most sexually active adults in the U.S. will have an HPV infection at some time, according to the CDC. HPV usually has no symptoms, and goes away on its own. But sometimes it remains in the body, and high-risk types of the virus can cause cell changes that lead to cancer.

Why is HPV so common? It spreads easily by skin-to-skin contact. The vaccine prevents the types of HPV that spread with genital or oral-genital contact. Note the use of the word “contact,” as in touching: sexual intercourse is not required to spread HPV.

2. Cancer protection. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, penis and anus.

In one generation. we have gone from not knowing the cause of these cancers to having a vaccine to prevent them. That’s cause for celebration. And when your son is prevented from getting genital HPV through vaccination, he can’t pass the virus to future sexual partners.

3. Genital wart prevention. Warts can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, so why not avoid them if possible? The vaccine recommended for boys will prevent 90 percent of genital warts.

4. The preteen and teen years are the best time to get the HPV vaccine, ideally before sexual contact and exposure to HPV. The immune response to vaccines in this age group is strong, so the vaccine will provide excellent protection. If a young man has had sexual contact, there’s no way to know which, if any, types of HPV he may have been exposed to, so the vaccine is still recommended.

5. Vaccines have never been shown to inspire sexual attraction, much less sexual activity. But talking about the HPV vaccine with your son might give you the chance to have a frank discussion about sex and dating. The National Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 61% of teens have had sexual intercourse by the 12th grade. Every young man can benefit from knowing how to avoid infections that are sexually transmitted, whether they are having sex now, soon, or later.

Talking with your son and his healthcare provider together about the HPV vaccine can help make sure that your questions are answered, so you can make a confident, informed decision about HPV vaccination.