Most women willing to get HPV vaccine

BOSTON, March 11 (UPI) -- Most women are willing to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus and have their daughters and sons vaccinated, as well, U.S. researchers say.

The study, published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology, also found that Latino women are just as likely, if not more so, to accept HPV vaccine as non-Latinos.

"Since the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are higher among Latino women in the United States, we were interested in whether the vaccine acceptance rate in this high-risk population was the same as for non-Latino women," Dr. Marcela del Carmen of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center who was the senior author, said in a statement.

"Overall, our results show that both Latino and non-Latino women are more likely to accept HPV vaccination for themselves and their children than previous reports have suggested."

Respondents who would not have their children vaccinated cited concerns about safety or the belief that their children were not at risk of HPV infection, the study said.

Some states have made HPV vaccinations mandatory for preteen girls in public schools -- females ages 9-26 are recommend to get the HPV vaccine -- often with a parental opt-out clause because some organizations have said mandating the vaccine condones sexual activity and lessens parents' control over their children, the Palm Beach (Fla.) Daily News reported.

However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said there is not enough evidence to confidently state that two popular vaccines against the human papillomavirus will reliably prevent against the development of cervical cancer.