Steven Fox
February 27, 2012 — The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published new guidelines for the use of the human papillomavirus vaccine and, for the first time, has specifically recommended use of the vaccine in adolescent boys as well as girls.
The recommendations were published online February 27 and in the March print issue of Pediatrics.
The vaccine was recommended for girls in 2006, but even though at that time the AAP said the vaccine could be used in boys, it was not specifically recommended for that population.
The new recommendations were spurred in part by mounting evidence that the HPV vaccine is effective as prophylaxis against genital warts in both males and females. HPV infection has been associated with increased risk for cervical cancer, anal cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer.
