Font Size:

HPV or human papiloma virus has long been thought of as a disease that can cause cervical cancer in women.

Health leaders have recommended teenage girls get a vaccine to protect themselves but now they say boys should too.

Public health nurses say HPV is the number one sexually transmitted disease in the country with about 20 million Americans carrying the virus.

And a big problem: many people have it and don’t know, because they don’t have any symptoms.

Although it may seem early, health officials recommend teenagers get the HPV vaccine when they’re 11 or 12 years old. That’s to ensure they receive all three doses well before their first sexual encounter.

The vaccine can be given as early as 9 or as late as age 26. but nurses say it’s important for everyone both males and females.

“Obviously we’re protecting the males from getting certain types of the HPV virus but also in turn we’re protecting more females because they won’t be getting the HPV virus from the males,” says Carrie Sickler, RN for Marathon County Health Department.

Sickler says the vaccine has been recommended for girls for many years, but was approved for boys in 2009 and is still not widely known.

As with other vaccines, The Marathon County Health Department will administer the HPV shot for just 7 dollars a dose.

Nurses recommend your child get the shot when they come in for their back to school vaccines this August.

Latest Comments

Posted by: alan Location: zou on Jul 27, 2011 at 02:30 AM I have HPV and I am an engineer who works for the largest STD dating and support site STDslove. com. I have to tell you a secret, you can choose not to believe me. but the truth is that this site has more than 1,880,000 members and about 80% members are good looking in my estimation. unfortunately, STD rates soar worldwide and most people with STDs don’t even know that they have them. The government should grant more money for STD education to lower the rates of STD transmission.