Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of cervical cancer and the three recommended doses of HPV vaccines can actually reduce the risk of this cancer. But a recent study shows that most teens (the vaccines are effective when taken between ages 9 and 27) are unaware of the effectiveness of the HPV vaccines.
The study was led by Kassandra Alcaraz, director of health disparities research at the American Cancer Society. Alcaraz and her team wanted to test the level of awareness about HPV vaccines among girls between 7 and 26. The researchers based their study on data collected on 3,551 adults who were a part Health Information National Trends Survey during 2012-2013 and 1417 participants were detected who needed HPV vaccines.
Thirty three percent of the volunteers who required HPV vaccines had taken all the three doses of and the rest were found to be mostly ignorant about the significance of HPV vaccines. In fact, women from Southern U.S. were found to have the least knowledge about the importance of HPV vaccines, according to Huffington Post.
"Findings suggest HPV communication and messages need refinement to clearly highlight vaccine efficacy, and targeted strategies may be needed to reach non-Hispanic Blacks and individuals with lower levels of education," reads the study.
Around 12,000 Americans are dignozed with cervical cancer every year. Cervical cancer leads to 4,000 deaths each year and most of these deaths occur in Southern U.S, reveals a recent post on newsday. The HPV virus also causes genital warts and cancers of the mouth and throat and also vaginal, penile and anal cancers.
Another recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas says that females aware of HPV vaccinations and who had completed all the three doses mostly belonged to north and east regions of the U.S. (37 and 23 percent), 29 and 19 percent finished in the middle and west zones and only 6 percent in the southern U.S.
To decrease the cancer burden on the country, the Centers for Disease and Prevention has suggested all the boys and girls between 11 and 12 take the HPV vaccinations and women of 26 and below and men below the age of 21 years who have not yet received the vaccination should get it done as fast as possible.
Girls can get take either of the two most popular HPV vaccines; Cervarix or Gardasil while the boys are suggested to take Gardasil only. The three vaccine shots cost around $400.
