HPV Toolkit: Parents
HPV Fact Zone
You play a very important role in the health of your children. You are the gatekeeper to the health decisions that affect them. Knowing your options will help you to make informed and confident decisions. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has gained mainstream attention in recent years because, unfortunately, it has become a widespread problem. In most cases, HPV does not produce any symptoms, so many people have HPV and don’t know it. This is partly why it has spread so rampantly. In 2006, a vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration that will prevent some of the high-risk forms of HPV that lead to cervical cancer as well as other forms of HPV that cause genital warts. The vaccine was approved for girls aged 9-26. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends vaccination for 11-12 year old girls, before they are exposed to HPV. We hope that the information provided below will help you feel good about the decisions you reach concerning the HPV vaccine and your children.