Abstract

This paper explores the ethical considerations surrounding human papillomavirus vaccination for adolescents in three special circumstances: a) the preadolescent/adolescent vaccination target population; b) the sexually transmitted nature of the virus; and c) the delay in boys’ vaccination recommendations as compared to initial girls’ recommendations. Examining the gendered components of the HPV vaccine, medical consent, and assent for minors; the changing relationship between medical providers and patients; and the tension between individual and public health, I conclude that, in most cases, parents are ethically required to choose vaccination for their children.