THE ISSUE

A government panel is recommending that boys, as well as girls, be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, HPV, which causes most of the cervical cancer in women.

Up to 80 percent of men and women are infected with human papillomavirus, or HPV, during their life, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most don’t develop symptoms or get sick, but some infections lead to genital warts, cervical cancer and other cancers, including cancer of the head and neck.

This has prompted public health officials since 2006 to recommend parents have their daughters vaccinated against HPV, which causes most cervical cancer in women. Unfortunately, the effort has been hampered by attacks from political conservatives and fears that the vaccination would somehow lead to increased promiscuity.

As governor of Texas, Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry came under attack for an executive order in 2007 requiring girls to get the vaccine, with an opt-out clause. When conservative legislators criticized the move, Perry relented.

With only one-third of adolescent girls getting the recommended three doses by 2010, officials are now taking an additional step.

On Tuesday, a government advisory panel recommended the vaccination be given to boys to prevent spread of the virus through sex. Considering the poor rate of vaccination for girls, this is a good move to protect both genders as they mature into adulthood.

Dr. Ranit Mishori, an assistant professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, said there is no data to suggest offering a vaccine against HPV will change sexual behavior. While parents should share their values and teach their children about the dangers of sexual promiscuity, they should do so with the realization that they can influence behavior but ultimately cannot control it.

The belief that “not my son, not my daughter” will prevent the spread of HPV is naive.

The fact that up to 80 percent of the population is infected with HPV over a lifetime means the chances of exposure to the disease is too great for even the most cautious adolescents and adults.

Rather than risking a child’s long-term health — or life — parents should utilize the protection offered by the HPV vaccination.