Parents, children should discuss HPV vaccine, study indicates

A study at Ohio State University found that college-aged women who have talked to their mothers about the human papillomavirus are more likely to get the vaccine that prevents it, Brandy Reeves, right, a certified sexuality educator and health education coordinator at the University of Kentucky, writes in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

HPV is known to cause cancer, including cervical cancer, oral cancer, vulvar cancer, anal cancer and penile cancer.

There are two vaccines for HPV approved by the Food and Drug Administration: Gardasil and Cervarix. "Because men can carry HPV and transmit it sexually to their partners, the FDA has approved the use of Gardasil in both genders, from ages 9 to 26," Reeves writes. "Parents who are nervous about bringing up the topic can focus on how the vaccine is safe and effective, and that it prevents cancer." (Read more)