--- description: Getting the vaccine to protect against the sexually transmitted infection, human papillomavirus (HPV) does not increase the risk that young women are sexually risky and get more STIs, a new study says. title: HPV Vaccine Not Linked To Promiscuity, Study Finds image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e64fe151abc4dd7/69877e493c1639d00b451a85/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Infectious Disease](/tag/infectious-disease/) ## Infectious Disease Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # HPV Vaccine Doesn't Make Teen Girls More Promiscuous, Study Finds by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 9, 2015 7:35 PM CUT  MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 21: A bottle of the Human Papillomavirus vaccination is seen at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine on September 21, 2011 in Miami, Florida. The vaccine for human papillomavirus, or HPV, is given to prevent a sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer. Recently the issue of the vaccination came up during the Republican race for president when Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) called the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer "dangerous" and said that it may cause mental retardation, but expert opinion in the medical field contradicts her claim. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, also a presidential contender, has taken heat from some within his party for presiding over a vaccination program in his home state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 21: A bottle of the Human Papillomavirus vaccination is seen at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine on September 21, 2011 in Miami, Florida. The vaccine for human papillomavirus, or HPV, is given to prevent a sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer. Recently the issue of the vaccination came up during the Republican race for president when Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) called the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer "dangerous" and said that it may cause mental retardation, but expert opinion in the medical field contradicts her claim. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, also a presidential contender, has taken heat from some within his party for presiding over a vaccination program in his home state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Joe Raedle—Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 9, 2015 7:35 PM CUT Getting a vaccine to protect against the sexually-transmitted infection human papillomavirus (HPV) does not increase the risk that young women will be sexually promiscuous and get more STIs, [a new study says](http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2109856 "undefined"). In the study, published in the journal _JAMA Internal Medicine,_ 21,000 U.S. girls who received an HPV vaccine were compared to 186,000 who were unvaccinated. The girls lived in the same region of the U.S. and had the same insurance plans. The researchers measured the rate of STIs before the girls were vaccinated and monitored their rate of STI infections for a year afterward. The results showed that while the vaccinated girls did have a slightly higher rate of STIs before and after their vaccine, the researchers suggest that it could be due to the fact that girls who opt for the vaccine may already be sexually active. However, the researchers found that the rate of STIs overall were equal among the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. The researchers concluded that this means the vaccine itself does not change sexual activity or behavior. “If providing girls with the HPV vaccine caused an increase in risky sexual behavior, we would expect to have seen a steeper increase in STI rates in the quarters following administration of the vaccine,” said study co-author Seth Seabury, an associate professor of research at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California [in a statement](http://www.eurekalert.org/pub%5Freleases/2015-02/hms-hvn020515.php "undefined"). “We found no such increase, causing us to conclude that there was no association between using the vaccine and unsafe sexual practices.” Currently, the rate of HPV vaccination in the United States is low. The most recent numbers show that only 57% of adolescent girls and about 35% of adolescent boys get at least one dose of the vaccine. Only 38% of adolescent girls have received all three recommended doses needed for full immunity, the study says. HPV has been linked to various types of cancer, including cervical and penile. One of the primary reasons parents may feel uneasy getting their daughters (and sons) vaccinated is a perception that the vaccine will lead to increased sexual activity among the adolescents who get it. A majority of parents believe [consent should be given](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120718112053.htm "undefined") before their children are vaccinated. But that concern is not supported by evidence, and this new study adds to existing data that HPV vaccines are safe and not linked to changes in sexual behavior. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3701507/hpv-vaccine-sti/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3701507/hpv-vaccine-sti/"},"headline":"HPV Vaccine Doesn't Make Teen Girls More Promiscuous, Study Finds","datePublished":"2015-02-09T19:35:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T04:16:15.957Z","description":"Girls who get vaccinated are not at a greater risk for STIs","url":"https://time.com/3701507/hpv-vaccine-sti/","keywords":["Infectious Disease","HPV","STD","vaccine"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e64fe151abc4dd7/69877e493c1639d00b451a85/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e64fe151abc4dd7/69877e493c1639d00b451a85/hpv-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HPV Vaccinations Back In Spotlight After Perry Joins Presidential Race","caption":"HPV Vaccinations Back In Spotlight After Perry Joins Presidential Race","creditText":"Joe Raedle—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/infectious-disease/","name":"Infectious Disease"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3701507/hpv-vaccine-sti/","name":"HPV Vaccine Doesn't Make Teen Girls More Promiscuous, Study Finds"}}]}] ```