As students go back to school and receive physicals and vaccines, parents may be asked if they want their child to receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. The HPV vaccination is recommended for boys and girls ages 11 or 12 but can be received by males or females from ages 9 to 26, according to healthychildren.org . The vaccine protects against certain strains of HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer, penile cancer, rectal cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer. What Is HPV? In order to make an informed decision about whether or not to vaccinate their children against HPV, parents need to know what HPV is. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. It is transmitted through contact with the genitals or the rectum of an infected individual. HPV is a virus, so it is easily transmitted on contact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated there is a prevalence rate of 45.2% of any type of HPV in men. There is a prevalence rate of 39.9% of any type
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