HPV Vaccine Not Frequently Recommended For Black Girls: Study: Despite its reputation as a "strong weapon in prevention," the HPV vaccine may not be benefiting adolescent females equally, a new study has found.
According to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, African-American females between the ages of 12 and 17 were 35 percent less likely to receive a healthcare provider recommendation for the HPV vaccine, a disparity that researchers are keeping an eye on in helping to curb the 6 million new HPV infections each year.
"I work with adolescents all day, and it's very interesting in my practice, when we talked about the HPV vaccine, how many parents had not heard about it," says May Lau, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern and one of the study authors. "I thought it would be very interesting to look at what is associated with people initiating the vaccine and who is actually getting these recommendations," she says.
