HPV Vaccine: Separating Myth From Guidance

HPV is linked to cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus and back of the throat, and the vaccine works best when given years before any exposure.

Key takeaways

• Routine age: 11 to 12 years; can start at age 9
• Started before the 15th birthday: 2 doses, 6 to 12 months apart
• Most useful single change: Ask for the HPV vaccine at the same visit as other preteen vaccines.
• Commonest mistake: Waiting until a teen is sexually active, when the vaccine may protect less well.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

What the guidance actually says

Here is what guidance actually publishes. The rest of the page is measured against it.

Where people go wrong

All of these come up regularly. All of them run against the published position.

• Waiting until a teen is sexually active, when the vaccine may protect less well
• Restarting the series if a dose was missed; it can be continued
• Skipping it for boys, who also benefit

What to do instead

• Ask for the HPV vaccine at the same visit as other preteen vaccines
• Check that the full series is completed
• Sit or lie down for about 15 minutes after the shot, since fainting can happen after any vaccine in teens
• Keep up with cervical cancer screening from age 21, even if vaccinated

The part that is genuinely uncertain

Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current US guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.

Related topics

• What the Guidance Really Says About Cervical Screening and HPV (Sexual Health)
• Cervical Screening: What the Evidence Actually Says (Women's Health)
• Vaccination: What the Evidence Actually Says (Immunity)
• Childhood Vaccinations: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Children's Health)

Where to go next

• HPV Vaccine in Five Minutes
• HPV Vaccine: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• HPV Vaccine — the reference entry
• Teen Health: The Complete Guide
• Teen Driving Safety: What the Evidence Actually Says
• Healthy Teen Relationships: What Published Guidance Supports

When to speak to a doctor

Call your doctor for a high fever or symptoms that worry you after vaccination. Call 911 for signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing.

Where this comes from

• CDC — HPV Vaccination
• American Cancer Society — HPV Vaccines

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.