HPV Vaccinations Do Not Lead to Unsafe Sexual Behavior in Teens: Study

A popular misconception that HPV vaccination may initiate sex or unsafe sexual behavior in teens has been disproved by a recent study.

The recent study by the researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center focuses on the importance of HPV vaccines and states that teenagers show no change in behavior toward sex after the vaccination.

The researchers studied teens that were sexually active or inactive. The participants were aged between 13 and 21 and had to answer more than 300 questions immediately after taking the vaccine. Most of them also participated in a follow-up survey conducted by the researchers, two or six months later.

The participants were primarily judged on their knowledge and attitude toward HPV vaccine, their beliefs regarding acquiring sexually transmitted infections other than HPV after vaccination, the concept about safe sex behavior and need for protected sex during intercourse. The participants were also asked how many times they initiated sex before and after vaccination, number of partners and also how many times they indulged in unprotected sex prior to vaccination.

The results showed that there were no significant behavioral changes post vaccinations. Most of them believed in practicing safe sex even after HPV vaccination and refused to accept that HPV vaccination protects against other sexually transmitted infections. If they were not having sex before the shot it's not because they felt it was unsafe to have sex before the shot.

According, to the researchers, the study will be really helpful in raising awareness on need to have HPV vaccines. "Data demonstrating that HPV vaccination does not lead to riskier behaviors will allow clinicians to provide accurate, evidence-based information to address the concerns of parents and thereby increase vaccination rates," said Dr.  Jessica Kahn, the lead author of the study, in a press release.

HPV is one of the burning health issues that affects more than 7.5 millions youngsters between the ages 14 and 24 in the United States and the primary cause for cervical cancer.

70 percent of the cervical cancer cases can be curved if the teens take necessary precautions during sexual intercourse and HPV vaccinations on time.