Does HPV Vaccination Promote Unsafe Sex in Adolescent Females?

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in female adolescents aged 14 to 19 years in the U.S. is nearly 25%. Despite the availability of vaccines protecting against both the cancer-causing strains of HPV (16 and 18) and wart-causing strains (6 and 11) since 2006, vaccination rates are low, partly because of a perception that vaccination may promote unsafe sexual activity among recipients.

To examine this issue, researchers assessed whether HPV vaccination status was associated with the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in female patients aged 12 to 18 years between 2005 and 2010, using a large database of insurance claims from U.S. employers. Results were as follows:

• The study comprised 21,610 vaccinated patients a…