Attention, Men: HPV Vaccine Effective Against Oral Infections Too
Getting the Shot A 13-year-old boy gets a shot while his mother looks on. James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HPV vaccines have always been advertised as protecting women, but a new study shows they also work against an infection that causes a throat cancer that's much more common in men. The same vaccine that protects women from cervical cancer also prevents an oral infection that sometimes leads to throat cancer in both sexes, a new study has found. And the throat cancer is actually much more common in men than women. The vaccine has been controversial in the U.S. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend boys and girls get a human papillomavirus vaccine around age 11 or 12. However, some parents oppose the recommendation because they believe offering the vaccine gives their kids the message that sexual activity is okay. Others seem to think their kids...