10TV: HPV Vaccine Recommended for Cancer Prevention

In response to low national vaccination rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV), 69 cancer centers nationwide, including The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, issued a statement Monday calling for increased HPV vaccination for the prevention of cancer.

Physicians at OhioHealth also agree that the HPV vaccination can help prevent many types of cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV infections are responsible for approximately 27,000 new cancer diagnoses each year in the U.S. Several vaccines are available that can prevent the majority of cervical, anal, oropharyngeal (middle throat) and other genital cancers. However, vaccination rates remain low across the U.S., with under 40 percent of girls and just over 21 percent of boys receiving the recommended three doses.

10TV reporter Bryant Somerville visited the Bing Cancer Center to talk with Gary Reid, MD, Director of Gynecologic Oncology at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, about the why the HPV vaccination is important for both girls and boys.