February 25, 2016
The rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among young women has plummeted since the introduction of the HPV vaccine, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found, but many boys and girls have still not been vaccinated.
As Reuters reported, over six years, there was a 64 percent decline in four strains of the virus for girls age 14 to 19 and a 34 percent drop for women age 20 to 24.
The prevalence of HPV has dropped to just 4.3 percent for teenage girls, down from 11.5 percent before the vaccine was introduced in 2006.
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It can lead to cervical cancer, as well as other kinds of cancer in both men and women.
The vaccine is recommended for both genders before they become sexually active, around ages 11 or 12. However, researchers found that only 40 percent of girls and 22 percent of boys have been vaccinated.
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