Vim & Vigor - Summer 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - 24

HPV: WHY
NOT WAIT?
Because HPV is transmitted through
sexual activity, parents may be
hesitant to have their children
receive the human papillomavirus
(HPV) vaccine, which protects
against certain types of cancer.
Parents may want to wait until
closer to the age their children might
become sexually active. However,
the vaccine is recommended for
both boys and girls beginning at age
11, and girls can receive it as early
as age 9, says Howard Ellis, MD, a
pediatrician with Mason Pediatrics.
"There are valid reasons for
administering it early," says Dr.
Ellis, noting that the best immune
response is seen between ages 9
and 15.
"Currently, HPV infections
cause over 90 percent of cervical
and vaginal cancers in females
and 90 percent of penile cancers
in men," Dr. Ellis adds. "And every
year, these HPV-related cancers
cause nearly 6,000 deaths."
"With the HPV vaccine, we have
the power to prevent these diseases
in our children and adolescents."

Preteen and
Teen Years

A lot changes in the adolescent years,
requiring a comprehensive approach to
whole-body health.
3 Immunizations. Most teenagers
should see a doctor once a year for an
annual exam and any needed shots.
"Not all parents are aware, but teens
might need a tetanus booster, meningitis
booster and MMR [measles, mumps and
rubella] booster," says Margaret Stager,
MD, a spokeswoman for the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). And girls
age 9 and older should receive the HPV
vaccine, which can help stop certain
cancers from developing.
3 Well-woman care and sexual
education. As girls transition through
puberty and begin to menstruate, their
doctors have new information and
concerns related to their reproductive health. "That's all part of wellness
and safety and making good, healthy
decisions during the teen years. We
have to talk about stuff
that's uncomfortable,"
Stager says. Though
breast cancer risk

is very low for teens, Stager teaches
her patients how to perform a breast
self-exam when they are 18 or 19.
3 Stress-related illness and sleep.
The teenage years can be stressful,
especially for modern kids who feel
pulled in a million directions. The
ubiquity of cellphones, with their constant buzz of notifications, doesn't help
them get a good night's sleep, which is
a critical component of mental health.
"They are staying up later and not getting good-quality sleep, and the parents
aren't aware this is going on," Stager
says. She points out that bad sleep habits correlate with weight gain and poor
school performance.
3 Online safety. Stager also checks in
with teenage girls-and their parents-
about their lives on the internet. "I talk
about parents monitoring social media,"
she says. "Most girls are not fully aware
of the great risks associated with communicating with someone they really
don't know."

Parents can

WEBSITE

Prevention Isn't
Just for Women
For a downloadable chart
from GMC that details the
recommended vaccines and
screenings based on age,
gender and health conditions,
visit gwinnettmedicalcenter.
org/preventionguidelines.

limit
screen time

to help adolescents
get adequate exercise,
sleep and in-person
social activity.

PHOTO BY GLOW IMAGES

24

SUMM ER 2017
http://gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/preventionguidelines http://gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/preventionguidelines
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