Making a Difference with Cancer Prevention During Childhood

Many lessons that we learn during childhood stay with us as we get older. Helping your child lower their risk of getting cancer later in life can be a valuable lesson to start while they are young. Vaccinations and healthy choices are a good way to get started. Getting your child vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) can prevent at least six types of cancer. The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that commonly cause cancer. The goal is to make sure young people are vaccinated against HPV before they are exposed to the virus.

Talk with your child about healthy choices they can make now to lower their risk of cancer later, such as not smoking and protecting their skin from sun exposure. Tobacco use can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body and about 9 out of 10 people who smoke cigarettes first try them by age 18. Damage to skin, such as sunburns, from too much sun exposure adds up over time and increases the risk of skin cancer.

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Cancer Prevention Starts in Childhood

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“I gave HPV vaccine to both my sons when they turned 11,” says pediatrician Dr. Jose Rodriguez in this video.

You can lower your children’s risk of getting cancer later in life by getting them vaccinated against HPV and helping them make healthy choices.

Get Your Kids Vaccinated Against HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. It can cause cervical and other kinds of cancer. Some cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) are caused by HPV.

The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cancer. Both boys and girls should be vaccinated when they are 11 or 12 years old. The vaccine can be given to teen girls and young women through 26 years and teen boys and young men through 21 years who weren’t vaccinated when they were younger.