HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccination rates are low when compared to other vaccinations used for adolescents. Approximately one-half of teenage girls have received HPV vaccines, which are used to help guard against cervical cancer, according to the Associated Press.
The HPV vaccine comes in three doses. According to the AP, 49 percent of teen girls in the U.S. received the first dose in 2010. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only one-third received all three shots.
HPV is contracted from sexual intercourse, but it often does not show any symptoms for years. Consequences range from genital warts to cervical cancer. The purpose of the HPV vaccine is to guard young women from the virus before it is too late.
However, some critics have claimed since the vaccine hit the market in 2006, that the shots advocate teenage sex. Advocates of the vaccine remain hopeful that the HPV shots will catch on with increased awareness of the benefits.
The CDC estimates 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer every year. 4,000 women die from the disease, reports the AP.
According to the AP, Idaho had the lowest HPV vaccination rates, while Washington and Rhode Island had the highest, based on a survey conducted by the CDC.
Overall, the vaccination rates for diphtheria, meningitis and pertussis have steadily increased in American teens.
