State minor consent laws and human papilloma virus vaccine uptake: An analysis of the 2023 National Immunization Survey-Teen Data

The purpose of this study is to examine whether state level laws allowing minors to self-consent for HPV vaccination is associated with HPV vaccine uptake. Specifically, we used the 2023 NIS-Teen survey to examine whether state laws allowing minor consent for HPV vaccination is associated with increased vaccination. We conducted multivariate logistic regression models using both parent reported HPV vaccination and physician reported HPV vaccination as our dependent variables. In both models, our results indicate that state minor consent laws are not associated with increased HPV vaccination. Provider recommendation and the age of the teenager were the strongest predictors of HPV vaccination. Public health initiatives promoting communication between patients and health care providers appear most likely to improve HPV vaccination. Identifying which state policies effectively increase parent-provider communication requires further research.