percent in 2011, according to the study. Dr. Terk says physicians who admin- ister other lifesaving vaccines to adoles- cents should give the HPV vaccine equal weight.
“HPV is so common that one cannot avoid it by virtue of his or her own good choices after becoming sexually active,” he said. “We need to approach this as a cancer-preventing vaccine, not as an STI-preventing vaccine.” In the 2008 TMA survey, doctors said
parents were often the No. 1 barrier to administering the HPV vaccine because they worried that vaccination would en- courage adolescents to engage in sexual behavior. A study published online in February
in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, de- bunks many parents’ assumption that HPV vaccination would lead to sexual activity in adolescents. The survey questioned young women aged 13 to 21 about their sexual behav- ior after receiving the HPV vaccine. Ac- cording to the study, the lower risk of HPV infection did not cause the girls to engage in riskier sexual behavior during the next six months.
Though the vaccine can be admin-
istered to patients as young as 9, Dr. Swanson says she is often unsure wheth- er the child’s parents or teachers have talked to them about sex. “At age 9, sometimes the kids are very naive,” she said.
Communication is key Dr. Swanson says patients who are knowledgeable about the HPV vaccine before entering her office are more likely to get vaccinated. She says vaccination rates could be higher if teachers men- tioned inoculations in school or during health class.
The high cost of the vaccine is anoth- er barrier for many physicians. “The HPV vaccine is one of the most expensive vaccines that physicians must contend with,” Dr. Terk said. According to CDC, Gardasil costs about $140 per dose, and Cervarix costs about $130 for physicians to purchase.
He says the vaccine’s high price tag causes physicians to assume financial
TMA program helps doctors spread the word
TMA supports the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gy- necologists, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics in recommending three doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for females and males aged 9 to 26. Be Wise — ImmunizeSM
is a TMA program that works with
physicians, medical students, and TMA Alliance members to improve vaccination rates in Texas through education and hands-on immunization clinics. It is made possible thanks to a grant from the TMA Foundation’s top donors, H-E-B and the TMF Health Quality Institute, as well as gifts from physicians and their families. The program’s fact sheets can help you implement or en-
hance vaccination practices in your office. Be Wise toolkits for physicians contain best practice guidelines, vaccine safety information, complete details about ImmTrac, and information about the Texas Vaccines for Children program. The Be Wise adolescent toolkit also offers tips specifically
on how to talk about HPV vaccination with parents and en- courages physicians to explain the safety and effectiveness of HPV vaccines. The toolkit features talking points for countering parents’ objections. To download the child and adolescent toolkits, visit www
.texmed.org/bewise. Click on What Does Be Wise — Immunize Offer for Physicians? Through Be Wise — Immunize, you can also host a low-cost
or free vaccination clinic. Be Wise offers local impact grants to assist in funding a local vaccination event. Grants of $500 to $2,000 are available to county medical societies, TMA Alliance chapters, medical student chapters, and TMA member-physi- cian practices and clinics. For information on upcoming clinics or grants, visit www
.texmed.org/bewise.
Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association.
April 2014 TEXAS MEDICINE 37
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