Schedule next dose at first visit
One thing her department has found successful in HPV completion is scheduling the second dose while the teen is in the office for the first dose.
“Also, you have to recommend it just as strongly for boys as you do for girls, because oropharyngeal cancer is like an epidemic right now for men, and HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is on an exponential rise,” Dr. Fricchione said.
According to the CDC, HPV is thought to cause 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States.
Equipping providers with statistics on the effectiveness of HPV vaccination in preventing cancer can take away the uneasiness in talking about sexual transmission.
“That really seems to help them give a strong recommendation. It puts them in a data-driven position to talk about the vaccine,” she said. “Once you put that data in front of the providers, they’re floored.”
Research was funded by GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Poston is employed by GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Fricchione disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.