HPV Vaccine Does Not Encourage Unsafe Sex: Study

According to a study released on Monday, the vaccine used to provide protection against Human Papillomavirus, a virus that is known to cause cervical cancer in women, does not encourage girls to practice unsafe sex.

The HPV vaccine, which has been available on the market since 2006, is administered in 3 doses. ABC News reports that even one single dose of the vaccine reduces the risk of contracting the virus by 82 percent.

Although the vaccine is reported to be completely safe and extremely effective, the vaccination rate has not been high in the United States. The lead author of the study Dr. Anupam Jena, who is also a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that the reason behind the low vaccination rate might be that many parents and doctors fear promoting unsafe sex. "I'd like to emphasize that it's a real concern. It's not something to automatically dismiss but that's why we need some scientific evidence to show we're on the right path," said Jena

According to ABC, another possible reason behind low vaccination rates could be the fact that HPV is a sexually transmitted virus, which might make some doctors uncomfortable to talk about potential sexual activity with their patients and their parents at such a young age.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers analyzed the medical history of 21,000 girls -aged 12 to 18- between 2005 and 2010 and compared them with the data collected from 180,000 unvaccinated women. They found no relation between HPV vaccine and an increased risk for unsafe safe sexual practices.

"This is a reasonable concern to have had, but the evidence suggests that it's not important. Physicians can be reassured by these findings and use them to talk to their patients," Jena said

Jena also noted that U.S. has a low vaccination rate when compared to other developed countries, such as Australia, where the vaccination rate is higher than 80 percent among eligible young people. Researchers hope that the study will help increase the vaccination rate in the U.S.