Physician Script: HPV Vaccination

Physician Script: HPV Vaccination

HPV vaccine is a crucial part of ensuring your patients and their families are protected against human papillomavirus (HPV) and its serious consequences, including cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, mouth, and throat cancer, and genital warts.

Below are a few suggestions on how to recommend the vaccine to your patients and medical colleagues.

Mothers of 11 and 12 Year Olds

Human papillomavirus is a serious disease. In addition to several cancers in both men and women, it can also cause genital warts. It’s unfortunately very common: Approximately 79 million people in the U.S. have been infected and 14 million new infections occur every year.

It’s important to protect your children before they become sexually active. At 11 or 12 years of age, your child will have the strongest response to, and thus protection from, the vaccine. The recommended doses will reduce your child’s risk from certain HPV-related cancers by up to 99%.

We know this vaccine is safe and effective. I have/will recommend it for my own children. Please talk to your child’s doctor about getting the vaccine.

Patients in the Catch-up Population

Human papillomavirus is a serious disease. In addition to several cancers in both men and women, it can also cause genital warts. It’s unfortunately very common: Approximately 79 million people in the U.S. have been infected and 14 million new infections occur every year.

Even if you’re already sexually active and possibly already exposed to HPV virus, the HPV vaccine offers protection against multiple strains of the virus. The recommended doses will reduce your risk from certain HPV-related cancers by up to 99%. Your partner can also get vaccinated to protect himself/ herself as well as you.

We know this vaccine is safe and effective. I have/will recommend it for my own children. Let’s start the vaccine series today. 

Pediatricians and Family Physicians

Human papillomavirus is a serious disease. Approximately 79 million people in the United States have been infected with HPV and 14 million new infections occur every year. It is important to protect children from HPV before they are at risk of exposure. The CDC, AAP, AAFP, and ACOG recommend that 11 and 12 year olds receive the HPV vaccine, prior to becoming sexually active. Statistics show that one in three 9th graders and two in three 12th graders have engaged in sexual intercourse.

Recommend the HPV vaccine series for both girls and boys the same way you recommend the other adolescent vaccines. For example, you can say, ‘Your child needs these vaccines today,’ and name all of the vaccines — ‘meningococcal, Tdap, and HPV’ — recommended for the child’s age.

You can also share if you’ve had your own child vaccinated against the disease. Your recommendation is the number one reason why someone will get the HPV vaccine and be protected from HPV-associated cancers and disease.