Parents unlikely to reject HPV vaccine over promiscuity fears
- Published: 10 September 2008 13:35
- Author: Steve Ford
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- Last Updated: 10 September 2008 13:35
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Evidence suggests few parents will be put off vaccinating their daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) due to concerns about promiscuity.
The national HPV vaccination programme, targeting girls aged 12-13, is being rolled out across the UK as children start the new school term.
However, as the virus can be transmitted via sex, some conservative groups have previously claimed that vaccinating against it will encourage girls to become promiscuous.
US researchers surveyed the parents or guardians of nearly 900 girls about their views on the vaccine. Less than 1% named promiscuity concerns as a main reason for not getting their children vaccinated.
'These findings show that most parents see the vaccinations as a necessity to protect the health of their daughters and dispel the myth that so many are concerned about the effect on their daughters' sexual behaviour,' the authors said this week at a British Psychological Society conference in Bath.
