PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND RECOGNIZES NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS MONTH
For Immediate Release: Sept. 13, 2016
PPSNE encourages parents to vaccinate their children against HPV to protect against HPV-related cancers.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month and Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) encourages parents to vaccinate their children against HPV to protect against HPV-related cancers.
The HPV vaccine is safe for everyone. Young people should get the vaccine when they are 11 to 12 years old as the vaccine works best when people receive it before any possible HPV exposure. Research shows that the vaccine does not encourage young people to have sex. Those who have been vaccinated are no more likely to have sex than those who have not been vaccinated. The HPV vaccine prevents cancer and saves lives.
“One of the most important things parents can do to protect their children’s health is to make sure they get all recommended vaccines, including the HPV vaccine,” said Judy Tabar, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “The HPV vaccine saves lives, and it is most effective when administered to children ages 11-12, ideally before they become sexually active. August is National Immunization Awareness Month and is the perfect time to learn more about HPV and getting vaccinated to protect against HPV-related cancers.”
Most people never know that they have been infected and may give HPV to a partner without knowing it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and about 14 million people become newly infected each year.
Cervical cancer is caused by certain types of HPV. In most cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV naturally, but high-risk HPV may lead to cervical cancer. Given in three separate injections over six months, the HPV vaccine protects against the most common HPV strains that cause up to 90 percent of all cervical cancer cases as well as genital warts.
“We encourage all people to visit their health care provider to discuss the benefits of the HPV vaccine. We also encourage women to receive regular checkups that may include cervical cancer screenings and testing for STIs,” said Tabar. “As the nation’s leading women’s health provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood has been a source of expert health care and information for 100 years and is not going anywhere.”
Planned Parenthood believes everyone deserves access to affordable, expert health care, and our doors are open to everyone. To find a Planned Parenthood of Southern New England health center near you, make an online appointment, or for more information, visit ppsne.org.
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Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) is one of the region’s largest providers of family planning and reproductive health care services. Since 1923, PPSNE has evolved into an organization with 18 health centers in Connecticut and Rhode Island, delivering care to nearly 70,000 patients annually, and 90 percent of the services provided are preventive.
Source
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Inc.
Contact
Media Contact: Josh Morgan
Brand & Communications Manager
Office: 203.752.2900
Cell: 203.815.9825
Published
July 28, 2016