News in brief - Nov. 7, 2011

HPV vaccine recommended for boys

Physicians should administer three doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine to boys ages 11 and 12 to prevent HPV infection and reduce transmission of the virus to females, according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The vaccine can be given to males as young as 9 and as old as 21. The committee said the immunization is most effective when it is administered before an individual is exposed to the virus, which occurs through sexual contact.

The committee made the decision Oct. 25 following a review of recent data that show the quadrivalent HPV vaccine to be effective in preventing HPV infection and related disease among males.

Each year in the U.S., about 18,000 HPV-associated cancers affect women and an estimated 7,000 such cancers affect men, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

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Gestational BPA linked to behavioral and emotional problems in young girls

Female babies who are exposed to bisphenol A while in their mother's womb have an increased risk of behavioral and emotional problems when they get older, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in Pediatrics.

Researchers collected data from 244 mothers and their 3-year-old children who live in the Cincinnati area and participated in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study. Mothers provided two urine samples during pregnancy and one after birth. Children's urine also was tested for BPA at ages 1, 2 and 3. Children's behavior was assessed at age 3.

Researchers found that BPA was detected in more than 85% of the mothers' urine samples and in more than 96% of the children's samples (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22025598).

Increased gestational concentrations of the chemical were associated with more hyperactive, aggressive, anxious and depressed behavior among girls. Such children also had poorer emotional control and inhibition than girls with lower BPA levels. This relationship was not seen among boys.

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