October 23
,
2012
by: ASRM Office of Public Affairs
Published in ASRM Press Release
Note: All information is embargoed until the time of presentation at the meeting, unless otherwise indicated.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 68th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE
Embargoed for Release: Monday, October 22, 2012 – 5:30 PM Pacific Daylight TimeGirls Who Got HPV Vaccine Had Better Understanding of Reproduction and Sexuality
San Diego, CA - Research presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine showed that girls who had received the HPV vaccine had higher levels of knowledge about human sexuality and reproduction than girls who had not.
Investigators at the University of Iowa recruited 268 women between the ages of 13-24 into the study. 181 had received the HPV vaccine and 87 had not. Age, race and level of exposure to reproductive education were similar between the groups. However, the HPV vaccinated women consistently showed a greater level of understanding about sexual topics than the unvaccinated. The researchers pointed out two specific examples in their paper: Nearly 4% of the women who had not been vaccinated endorsed withdrawal as a reliable method of contraception, while none of the vaccinated women did. 15% of the unvaccinated subjects thought HPV was uncommon, while only 7% of the HPV vaccinated subjects did.
“Patients must be provided good accurate information in order to make decisions about their health. This is as true in reproductive medicine as in any other field. Unfortunately, there are often barriers to providing education about sexuality and reproduction. This study points out the dangers of those barriers,” said Dolores J. Lamb, PhD, President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
O-36 Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccinated Girls Display Increased Sexual Knowledge Over Their Unvaccinated Peers
J. Kresowik et alThe American Society for Reproductive Medicine, founded in 1944, is an organization of more than 7,000 physicians, researchers, nurses, technicians and other professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge and expertise in reproductive biology. Affiliated societies include the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, the Society of Reproductive Surgeons and the Society of Reproductive Biologists and Technologists.
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