A very common myth associated with girls being vaccinated to guard them against human papillomavirus, or HPV, has been comprehensively disclaimed by a recent study.

Religious and social conservatives being against the move of females being vaccinated raised ridiculous issues, which warned that such a move will motivate the girls to lose their moral values.

The study published in the Pediatrics emphasized that in majority of the cases, women who have contracted the HPV, exhibit no specific symptoms.

However, in a few cases, depending upon the type of viral strain and the extent of the infection, the women might develop cervical or even other types of cancer and might even suffer genital warts.

During the year 2006, government's major committees encompassing immunization practices notified that all girls, aged between 11 and 12 years, in a few cases, even those of nine years, should be immunized against the most common sexually transmitted virus, which will help them attain immunity before becoming sexually active.

The study carried out by the team of researchers at Kaiser Permanente and Emory University examined previous medical records, which included almost a third of 1,400 who were vaccinated in 2006.

One expert said, "Parents should think of the vaccine as they would a bicycle helmet; it is protection, not an invitation to risky behavior".