• Nichola Haddad, Rebecca H Allen, Daria Szkwarko, Michelle Forcier, and Cherie Paquette.
• medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
• R I Med J (2013). 2018 Sep 4; 101 (7): 12-14.

AbstractHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) causing nearly all cases of cervical carcinoma and genital condyloma worldwide. While HPV vaccination rates are higher in Rhode Island compared to other states, still 27% of female adolescents are not fully vaccinated. The requirement for parental consent for vaccination administration poses a barrier to HPV vaccine uptake and hinders adolescent autonomy. This requirement lies in stark contrast to the goals of the Family Planning Title X Program, which provides all adolescents with access to contraception and STI prevention and treatment without parental consent. In this commentary, we propose that HPV vaccination should be available to all pre-teens and adolescents as part of teen reproductive and sexual healthcare, and thus be exempt from parental consent in a similar way to other reproductive and sexual health services such as STI testing and contraception. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2018-09.asp].

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