HPV Resources
for Parents
Quick Facts
From the American Cancer Society
✓ HPV can cause cancer
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that can lead to cancer-causing infections.
✓ Each year, 37,000 newly diagnosed HPV cancers*
Last year in the United States, men and women were diagnosed with more than 37,000 cases of cancer caused by HPV.
*Last revised December 2021
✓ HPV vaccine prevents 6 types of cancer
The HPV vaccine helps prevent six types of cancer; oropharyngeal, cervical, vagina, vulvar, anal, and penile, keeping your child protected years down the line. It also protects against genital warts for both women and men.
HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.
HPV vaccination is safe.
HPV vaccination is recommended between the ages of 9 & 12 for both boys and girls.
If your child is 9, talk to your family doctor about the HPV vaccination. The earlier they can start the vaccine, the less likely they are to contract HPV later.
Recommended Schedule & Dosage
from National HPV Vaccination Roundtable
Get a jump-start on HPV vaccination!
Ask your healthcare provider about the HPV vaccine starting at your child’s age 9 well visit.
Starting the 2-shot HPV vaccine series at age 9 will help get your child fully vaccinated by age 13.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society, and the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable agree HPV vaccination starts at age 9.
HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. It can prevent more than 90% of 6 HPV cancers when given at the recommended ages.
Research shows that vaccination provides close to 100% protection against infections, precancers, and cancers caused by the types of HPV included in the vaccine.
More than 75% of US parents have chosen to protect their children from HPV cancer with the HPV vaccine.
Download these resources to learn more about the HPV vaccine for your children:
Teens and young adults
HPV vaccination is also recommended for everyone through age 26 years, if not vaccinated already. Some adults age 27-45 years who are not vaccinated may opt for vaccination after speaking with a doctor about their risk for new HPV infections. HPV vaccination in this age range provides less benefit, as more people have already been exposed to HPV.
HPV vaccination is preventing cancer-causing infections and precancers
HPV infections and cervical precancers (abnormal cells on the cervix that can lead to cancer) have dropped significantly since the vaccine has been in use.
Among teen girls, infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 86 percent.
Among young adult women, infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 71 percent.
Among vaccinated women, the percentage of cervical precancers caused by the HPV types most often linked to cervical cancer has dropped by 40 percent.