HPV Vaccine Does Not Increase Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Young Girls

Vaccination against HPV does not increase the risk of sexual behavior among girls, according to recent findings conducted by researchers at McGill University in Montreal.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that all boys and girls receive three HPV shots, which provide protection against multiple strains of the virus and such health problems as cervical, anal, penile and throat cancer.

"Our study was almost 200 times larger than the previous study and found no evidence of an increase in risk," said lead author Leah M. Smith of McGill University in Montreal in an email, according to The Chicago Tribune.

For the study researchers examined health databases in Ontario, beginning in 2007 with all 8th grade girls in Ontario around the age of 13. All were offered three doses of the HPV vaccine, while only half of the eligible girls received all three doses.

In grades 10 through 12, more than 10,000 of the girls became pregnant, and 6,000 contracted an STI.
More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Canadian Medical Association Journal.