About 20 per cent of girls from ethnic minority backgrounds are not being vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) because they feel they don't need to have it, according to a Cancer Research UK survey presented today at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool. Reasons included: 'Because I am not sexually active and will not be until I get married' and: 'My Mum didn't think it was necessary for me to have the vaccine since I won't be sleeping around'. This is the first study done with an ethnically diverse group of girls to look at why they are not vaccinated, or do not complete the series of injections.

American Association for the Advancement of Science, November 1, 2015

The HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) is pleased to announce a national call to action to improve adolescent health called "Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow," or TAG. TAG calls upon organizations and individuals working with teens to prioritize activities that improve adolescents' physical, social, emotional and behavioral health. "We encourage professionals working with adolescents as well as their friends and families and adolescents themselves to take action to improve adolescent health," said Evelyn Kappeler, Director of OAH. "Each of us can make a difference in the health of adolescents today and in their future."

HHS, October 29, 2015

Many physicians are inconsistent or behind schedule in their recommendations for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, according to a study published online  Oct. 22 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.The researchers found that 27 percent of physicians reported that they did not strongly endorse HPV vaccination, or deliver timely recommendations for boys or girls (26 and 39 percent, respectively). Fifty-nine percent of physicians used a risk-based approach for recommending HPV vaccination; 51 percent usually recommended same-day vaccination. Physicians who were uncomfortable talking about HPV vaccine or who believed parents did not value it had lower overall recommendation quality. Higher quality was seen among physicians who initiated discussions by saying that the child was due for HPV vaccine rather than providing information or eliciting questions.

Oncology Nurse Advisor, October 28, 2015

A Boston Medical Center education-based pilot program was able to   increase HPV vaccination  rates among boys and girls at two community health centers by educating physicians about the vaccine and providing them with training to more effectively communicate with patients and parents about the vaccine's importance. Earlier this month, the American Cancer Society awarded Boston Medical Center a $1.04 million grant to expand the pilot program to four other community health centers over the next three years. As part of the program, physicians are given the rates of HPV vaccinations for their practice-how many kids started and how many kids finished the series. Perkins said they receive education on the importance of the vaccination and how to communicate with parents who may seem unsure or have questions.

Boston.com, October 28, 2015

Doctors are pushing for an anti-cancer vaccine funded only for girls be extended to boys and young men.

The Medical Association, representing 5500 doctors, wrote to drug-buying agency Pharmac in mid-August seeking an update on a proposal to fund the HPV vaccine either universally for boys from 11 to 19, or for the subset of boys and young men from age nine to 26 who self-identify as having sex with other males and are at high-risk of oncogenic HPV.

The association told Pharmac "the burden of HPV-related disease in males is considerable".

Radio New Zealand, October 28, 2015

Sex education has evolved enormously since it was first introduced in schools. Nowadays, information on emotional tie-ins is just as important as biological explanations. Teresa Norris, founder, president and spokesperson for HPV Awareness Corporation, visited Yarmouth recently, providing age-appropriate, sexual health information to local students.

Yarmouth County Vanguard, October 28, 2014

The vaccine is recommended for boys and girls 11 or 12 years old, and some parents blanch at the prospect of inoculating their child against a sexually transmitted virus at that age, Saslow said. Unfortunately, taking the HPV vaccine out of the regular immunisation schedule drastically lowers the odds that a child will get the full series of shots, she said. It also increases the odds that they will be exposed to HPV before getting the vaccination.

Health 24 Center, October 28, 2015

Most boys in the United States aren't receiving the cancer-preventing HPV vaccine alongside their other scheduled inoculations, largely because doctors fail to recommend it or adequately explain its benefits to parents, a new U.S. government study says. The study was published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

Health Day, October 26, 2015

Based on our review of the scientific data, IPVS strongly endorses HPV vaccination of all girls and women as specified by the relevant national regulatory authorities.IPVS also strongly endorses HPV vaccination of boys and men wherever relevant national regulatory authorities approve it.

"HPV vaccines have been in the market for almost 10 years. The impact in the vaccinated cohorts is expected to be high and much of the HPV related disease will be reduced. The IPVS encourages Public Health and other stakeholders to promote HPV vaccination as a paradigm in cancer prevention."

PR Newswire, October 26, 2015

The HPV vaccine can prevent 9 out of 10 cases of a cancer that affects the tongue, throat, and cervix. So why are doctors failing to recommend it?

The United States has a rate of vaccination against HPV far below recommended levels . In 2014, only about 40 percent of girls between ages 13-17 had received all three recommended doses, and for boys of the same age it was even lower at around 22 percent. As the authors of the study note, recommendation from physicians is the single greatest factor in deciding whether or not to vaccinate, and those numbers aren't going to rise nearly enough if doctors fail to make it a priority.

The Daily Beast, October 26, 2015

In U.S. adolescent males, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake of ≥1 dose and series completion of ≥3 doses were 34.6% and 13.9%, respectively, with significantly higher rates of completion among non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, compared with non-Hispanic whites. The most common reason reported by parents for not vaccinating their male adolescents was the perception that the provider did not recommend it.

2 minute medicine, October 25, 2015

The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday. 

For more information contact Dennis J. Barbour, JD. News Roundup editor and President/CEO of the Partnership, at [email protected].

The  Partnership for Male Youth is a collaboration among 23 national organizations and representation from six federal agencies. It is led by a multidisciplinary and multispecialty steering committee and advisory council. The Partnerships's flagship effort, released in January 2014, is  The Health Provider Toolkit for Adolescent and Young Adult Males.