Poll: Parental consent should be required for HPV vaccine

By MyHealthNewsDaily Staff

Most adults say teenagers should be able to freely access treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, but most say parental consent should be required for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Researchers surveyed 2,131 adults and found that 45 percent supported allowing teens to receive the HPV vaccine  without parental consent, but 57 percent said teens should be able to get STD prevention measures.The poll found that55 percent said teens should be able get STD treatments without parental consent, just not the HPV vaccine.

"These poll results show the majority of adults view HPV vaccination as distinct from sexually transmitted infection prevention, and are reluctant to support taking away parental consent," said study author Sarah Clark, of the University of Michigan and the National Poll on Children's Health.

The researchers polled a nationally representative sample of adults, who did not have to have children to participate, on a variety of sexual health issues.

The human papillomavirus causes cervical cancer in women, and genital warts in both sexes. It has also been linked to neck, head and skin cancers. The Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine forfemales in June 2006, and for males in October 2011.

It's recommended  that individuals be vaccinated before becoming sexually active, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This means that the vaccine should be administered as early as age 11 or 12, which can be a tough thing for many parents to consider, the researchers said.

"Parents aren't thinking their 11- or 12-year-old child is ready for sexual activity," Clark says. "Many parents ask to delay the vaccine until their child is a little older. But older teens go to the doctor much less than younger adolescents, and often, they go without a parent."

Despite the push for parental consent, 74 percent of those polled agreed that getting the vaccine is a good decision.

The findings were part of the by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

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Comment author avatarmikeyknows

The public health is detoriating because we have too many internet medical degrees with accompanying paranoia, and too many parents with egos the size of mount everest, and internet junk science.

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:25 AM EDT
Comment author avatarConcernedByStupidity

On February 27, 2006, the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommended the clinical trials be terminated on ethical grounds, so that young women on placebo could receive Gardasil.[14] Merck tested the vaccine in several hundred 11- and 12-year-old girls.[15

Above was taken from the Wiki website. Maybe I value the health and privacy of my kids more then forcing them to take a medicine that was only tested 6 years ago on teens. That would make these "several hundred girls" about 18 now? Lets see if complications arise during pregnancies or later in life before I jump on the government "FDA" approved bandwagon. How many medications has the FDA approved that have turned out to be "poisen" and cause lifelong problems? I will not be the one that puts my kids at risk. When they turned 18, I gave them the choice on what to do. It is THEIR body and LIFE afterall.

Fact is, their were major delayed side effects to this medication. Guardisil denied any involvment (as with delayed reactions---there is no proof)

  • 2 votes
Reply#2 - Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:47 AM EDT
Comment author avatarCaptive Audience

The consequences of cervical cancer are much worse if not caught early.

    #2.1 - Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:21 PM EDT
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