HPV vaccine for boys?

6 replies

HelpMeHiveMind · 19/02/2022 14:42

DS came home with a letter asking for consent for HPV vaccine.

It's thrown me a bit as I knew girls got this, but hadn't heard of it being a "thing" for boys.

Is it really necessary for boys? Surely teaching them to practise safe sex is better than giving them yet another round of jabs, when they've just had the covid ones too? I'm all for essential vaccination but keen to hear other opinions on this one...

OP posts:

CMOTDibbler · 19/02/2022 14:46

HPV vaccination is of massive benefit directly to boys as HPV is also involved in anal, rectal, penile and head and neck cancers - we now understand much more about how it turns off key DNA repair pathways. It can be passed on through non penetrative contact, so boys can get infected much earlier than you think

MermaidEyes · 19/02/2022 14:54

Boys should have it, just like girls. Originally it was thought that girls would act as 'herd immunity' for the boys until some bright spark realised that there are plenty of gay men out there who wouldn't be protected.

Simonjt · 19/02/2022 14:56

@HelpMeHiveMind

DS came home with a letter asking for consent for HPV vaccine.

It's thrown me a bit as I knew girls got this, but hadn't heard of it being a "thing" for boys.

How would you prevent HPV via safe sex when condoms aren’t effective at preventing HPV infection.

ittakes2 · 19/02/2022 15:01

Assuming he will have oral sex unprotected at some point in his life than it protects against mouth cancers for both him and his partners. And also if you think he wants to get someone pregnant he will not be using condoms so protects then as well. It’s free at his age he’ll have to pay as an adult

Glisil · 19/02/2022 15:02

Absolutely boys should 100% get it for the reasons @CMOTDibbler has given. It would be really foolish not to.

Extratoebeans · 19/02/2022 15:05

Why is it ok for girls to have the hpv vaccine and covid vaccine but not boys? Of course they should have it.

If it was the other way round and girls could spread something that could potentially cause cancer in boys, would you not want the girls to also be vaccinated? Plus, as above, its also known to cause issues in males as well.

Flip