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HPV vaccination: What does this mean for dentists of tomorrow?

BDJ Student volume 26, pages 22–25 (2019)Cite this article

By Ellie Carroll and Olivia McCormack.

To us it seems unfair and frustrating that despite Human Papillomavirus (HPV) being linked to 5% of cancers worldwide (some of which only affect men), and approximately 73% of oropharyngeal cancers being caused by HPV,1 that we haven't been taking all of the necessary and obvious steps as healthcare professionals to reduce its incidence. Now that HPV 16 and 18 are recognised as independent risk factors for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, why are only 12-13-year-old girls vaccinated against HPV in the UK? Since 2008, the vaccination has been offered to female adolescents to provide protection against cervical cancer, but since males are twice as likely to be diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer than females,1 why is it taking so long for young males to be offered the same protection?

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Fig. 1

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dental School, University of Bristol, Lower Maudlin Street, BS1 2LY, Bristol, UK

    Ellie Carroll & Olivia McCormack

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  1. Ellie Carroll
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  2. Olivia McCormack
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Correspondence to Olivia McCormack.

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Carroll, E., McCormack, O. HPV vaccination: What does this mean for dentists of tomorrow?. BDJ Student 26, 22–25 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-019-0059-4

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