According to new research appearing in Pediatrics, the journal for the American Academy of Pediatrics, receiving the human papilloma virus vaccine is not associated with an increase in sexual activity in girls for up to three years after the vaccine.
The AAP recommends boys and girls age 11-12 receive the vaccine, which can prevent the sexual transmission of HPV. HPV can cause cancer in the cervix, mouth, throat and genitals.
This study examined whether girls who received the HPV vaccine were more likely to have markers of sexual activity, such as receiving counseling for contraception, receiving an STD or becoming pregnant. They were not.
— Alandra Johnson, The Bulletin
