A new study sheds light on a counter-intuitive phenomenon:White, well-to-do teens are less likely to get an HPV vaccination than girls inlow-income, predominantly minority communities.

The research, published last week in the medical journal,Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, foundthat 53 percent of teenage girls received a dose of theHPV vaccine in 2011 and 2012.

The rate was highest among girls in predominantly Latinocommunities, 69 percent of whom received a dose of the vaccine,which is credited with reducing the risk of cervical cancer causedby HPV.

In comparison, only 54 percent of girls who lived inpredominantly African American communities received the vaccine andonly 50 percent of girls from predominantly white areas werevaccinated.

Regardless of race and ethnicity, 61 percent of girls incommunities with significant poverty (at least 20 percent living inpoverty) received the vaccine, compared to 52.4 percent of girls inless poverty-stricken areas.

"The higher HPV vaccination rates among girls living in poorcommunities and majority Hispanic communities, which also tend tohave high poverty rates, are encouraging because these communitiesoften have higher cervical cancer rates,” said Kevin Henry, aTemple University professor who authored the study.

Dr. Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance forHispanic Health, told the Guardian that the high vaccination ratesamong Hispanics may be due to a lower level of suspicion aboutvaccines in the Latino community than elsewhere in the U.S.

The overall vaccination rates are still far lower than expertshope for. Teen boys and girls are supposed to receive three dosesof the HPV vaccine, and currently only 40 percent of girls and 22percent of boys get all three.