Story highlights Mary T. Bassett: A study showing a high rate of oral HPV among American men is disheartening, but could be an opportunity

Society must recommit -- parents, health care providers, public health authorities -- to protect our young people from HPV

Dr. Mary T. Bassett is the commissioner of health for New York City. Previously, she was the program director for the African Health Initiative and the child well-being program at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The views expressed in this commentary are solely hers.

(CNN) For over a decade now, our country's health leadership has raised awareness about the human papillomavirus vaccine and urged young people to be immunized. Sadly, HPV vaccine rates in America have remained inadmissibly low.

That fact, well-known in the medical and public health communities, feels particularly poignant today, after a study published this week by the Annals of Internal Medicine exposed the stunning statistic that an estimated 11 million men in America have oral HPV infections and 7 million men have the high-risk type of HPV that can cause cancers of the mouth and throat.

Mary T. Bassett

The reasons why our young people are not receiving this important vaccine vary and are complex, but the responsibility falls mostly on two parties: the health care provider who must recommend it, and the parent who must accept it. Health care providers must shift the conversation from the way in which HPV is transmitted and focus on the disease it prevents. Let's call the vaccine what it is: a vaccine against cancer.

Through immunization, we can protect future generations from HPV. But there's more to be done for those who have oral HPV infection and are past vaccination age. For this group, early diagnosis and behavioral changes are critical. At this time, there are no FDA-approved oral HPV tests, but possible signs of throat and mouth cancer should prompt doctors and dentists to do thorough head and neck examinations.

Thankfully, this new study grabbed many headlines. Its eye-popping research reminded us of how dangerous certain HPV viruses can be for men and women, despite being extremely common and often asymptomatic.