Many of you have asked my opinion about the HPV vaccine Gardasil and teen girls and boys. Here are my thoughts. Gardasil protects against four strains of HPV: two strains cause warts and the other cause genital cancer. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has added the recommendation to immunize young boys as well as young girls. This has caused a huge stir among many with religious convictions. Many parents are concerned that giving Gardasil to adolescents sends the message that it’s OK to have sex. Additionally, they worry that Gardasil may caused some nasty side effects. The legitimate reports about the side effects of Gardasil show that the vaccine appears to be safe. When Michelle Bachman stated that Gardasil caused brain injury, she misspoke because there have been anecdotal references to such things but nothing has been verified. So, it appears as though the vaccine is safe. That said, Gardasil still has only been around for a relatively short period of time. Concerning the message that giving Gardasil to kids gives them the “green light” to be sexually active, I disagree. I think that when properly administered, the vaccine should be used to teach kids that sex is very serious