Nearly 25 percent of girls who gets the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine mistakenly believe that they also have a lowered risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases. A study polled close to 350 girls, average age nearly 17, after their first of three HPV doses, and their mothers.
The poll was intended to determine the girls' perceived risk of getting HPV after the vaccination, their perceived risk of getting other STIs, and their perceived need for continued safer sex behaviors.
According to U.S. News & World Report:
“... 24 percent of the girls mistakenly thought they were at lower risk for other STIs such as syphilis and gonorrhea after the HPV vaccine”.