Why Your Preteen Needs the HPV Vaccine

Why So Young?

Understandably, you may feel your preteen is awfully young to be thinking about sex. But it’s crucial to get immunized before a first sexual encounter because HPV transmits through sex—including vaginal, oral and anal sex and even intimate skin- and mucous-membrane contact. (Condoms can reduce HPV spread, but the virus can infect skin not covered by condoms.) To be safe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the HPV vaccine for all girls and boys 11 to 12 years old; the Food and Drug Administration approves it for kids as young as 9.

"The younger you are, the stronger your immune system response," Dr. DeHovitz says. "So you want to get the vaccine before sexual initiation—that’s the whole key—and also because the immune system is more robust."

Once someone becomes infected with HPV, "the vaccine won’t do anything against virus variants already in your system," he adds, though it may help against other strains. You can receive the vaccine up to age 26 if female, 21 if male.

If you’re worried that your teen or preteen may view the vaccine as a green light for sexual activity, take a breath. Numerous studies indicate absolutely no correlation between receiving the HPV vaccine and initiating or increasing sexual activity.

"I don’t think adolescents perceive the vaccine as a license to have sex," Dr. DeHovitz says. "That’s why I call it a vaccine for adulthood because really, you’re trying to get teens ready for being an adult and all that that entails."

Three-Dose Series

Currently, the HPV vaccine consists of three shots; after the first dose, your child gets the second at two months and the third at six months.

A 2013 study made headlines when researchers suggested that a single HPV vaccine shot provides enough protection. But the study covered only HPV-16 and HPV-18, two of the most common HPV strains (more than 40 different HPV types can infect the genital area). When study results included two other common HPV strains (HPV-31 and -33), one-shot protection rates dropped significantly.

Is the HPV Vaccine Safe?

Yes. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 80 million HPV vaccines have been distributed in the United States since 2006. Each variety went through years of extensive safety testing before licensing, and all have been found safe and effective.

“Since 2006, this vaccine has seen no significant adverse events of any kind,” says Dr. DeHovitz. “Your child could be lightheaded after the injection, but that has nothing to do with HPV; it has to do with just getting a vaccine as a teenager.” Other mild side effects may include headache, nausea and soreness at the injection site.

Find out more about HPV vaccine safety from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It Won't Happen to My Child (or Me)”

What if you’re confident your child won’t have sex before marriage and will marry a virgin, virtually eliminating HPV risk? Get the vaccine anyway, says Dr. DeHovitz.

More than 90 percent of sexually active men and more than 84 percent of sexually active women will contract HPV in their lifetime, according to current CDC estimates. “Parents think, ‘well, that’s never going to be my child,’ but in a situation where a vaccine is not harmful, there’s no downside to just being extra careful.”