Oral

This session examines the public health implications of the HPV vaccine for adolescents from the perspectives of the provider, parents, and adolescents. Two of the sessions address the role of the physician in advocacy for the vaccine and reproductive health education with adolescents. The results of a national survey and of an intervention study are reported. The other two sessions examine the acceptability, intention to vaccinate, decision making and information dissemination from the perspectives of both adolescents and their mothers. The relationship between discussion of the vaccine and adolescent sexuality is explored. The political, cultural, and psychosocial aspects of the dissemination of the vaccine among adolescents is a crosscuting theme in this session.

Session Objectives: 1. Discuss the role of the health care provider as advocate and health educator with adolescent females at risk for HPV. 2. Describe the intentionality to vaccinate and the acceptability of vaccination among the mothers of adolescent females. 3. Explore correlates of mother to daughter discussion of the vaccine and parental-adolescent conversation about adolescent sexuality. 4. Examine the profile of adolescent decision making about receipt of the vaccination.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)