Mom Danielle Schwartz-Safko is usually in the driver's seat when it comes to her kids, but when it came to the HPV vaccine, her 13-year-old son, Logan, didn't need any direction. He wanted to get it.
"I'm glad I got it. I don't really want all that STDs in my system," Logan said.
But according to new research from the Moffitt Cancer Center, the HPV vaccine isn't as popular as it should be especially among boys.
"It feels like a little bit, we've fallen short," said Susan Vadaparampil, professor and senior member of the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Vadaparampil said, in the U.S., only 38 percent of girls have completed all three doses of the vaccination, and for boys, it's only 14 percent.
"We would probably do a lot better if everybody was on the same page in terms of vaccine benefits, being comfortable with discussing the vaccine, and seeing how there is potential to prevent cancer," said Vadaparampil.
Research showed some doctors didn't recommend the vaccine because they were hesitant to have the "birds and bees" talk with kids.
"Bringing up a vaccine that's about a virus that's potentially sexually transmitted is a difficult topic at any age group," Vadaparampil explained.
That's not an issue for pediatrician Dr. Marcy Solomon Baker, assistant medical director of BayCare Medical Group, who said it's all about the approach.
"Roll it in with their sixth and seventh grade immunizations, their middle school immunizations. I don't think you really have to get into detail with an 11-year-old about why we're giving this vaccine," Baker said.
Baker is proactive when it comes to immunizations, like the HPV vaccine.
"We have a vaccine against cancer. Why would you not want to give it to your child?" Baker asked.
"It was just another shot; basically all of the shots are the same," said Schwartz.
Logan hopes more kids will get the vaccine instead of "passing" on it.
According to the National Cancer Institute, widespread vaccination has the potential to reduce cervical cancer deaths around the world by as much as two-thirds. The advisory committee on immunizations recommends the HPV vaccine for both girls and boys. When the vaccine first became available to the public, it was an "option" for boys, so insurance coverage was an issue.
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