may make people less likely to bring it up with their friends or healthcare providers. If a person is experiencing symptoms of head and neck cancer but isn't aware of the connection to HPV, or doesn't want to bring up their HPV status with their healthcare provider, it mayEven after they learn they have head and neck cancer, some people are reluctant to talk about HPV.
There is a vaccine that protects against HPV, including the strains of the virus that cause cancers of the oropharynx. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the HPV vaccine for everyone up to age 26, as well as some adults up to age 45 who haven't received the vaccine and may be at risk of new HPV infections.
In spite of CDC recommendations, some parents are reluctant to vaccinate their adolescent children against HPV. A published in the journal Pediatrics found that parental hesitancy about the HPV vaccine went up from 50.4% in 2012 to 64% in 2018, even though more providers were recommending the vaccine to their adolescent patients.on local, state and national levels to help prevent cancers caused by HPV.Health disparities and inequalities can be another barrier to accessing head and neck cancer care.