ACOG weighs in on HPV vaccination

The Congress urges vaccination in girls at 11 or 12 years. And because older girls and women may get benefit from the series, providers should offer it to them.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2010 —Girls should be routinely vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) at the age of 11 or 12, although vaccination may be advisable in girls as young as 9, according to recommendations from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

In a new committee opinion, the Committee on Adolescent Health Care also recommends that ObGyns discuss the potential benefits of HPV vaccination with female patients ages 13 to 26 and offer the vaccine if they haven’t received it or completed the series. The bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines are most effective if given before sexual activity, but sexually active girls and women may still get some benefit from vaccination. The benefits of the vaccine may be limited in patients with previous genital warts or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.