Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infectious disease. Among the ways HPV is transmitted is through skin-to-skin contact and more commonly through sexual contact. Many people are infected with HPV and don't even know it. This is a problem with the disease, you can transfer the disease to someone unknowingly and they can become seriously ill, while you remain symptom free. In 2006 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved a preventative vaccine to help eliminate the contraction of HPV in young women and girls. The vaccine, given in three doses, protects against the four most common strains of the disease.

Should boys also be vaccinated?

Recently there has been a movement to also offer the vaccination to boys and young men. The FDA has approved the vaccine for males the studies conducted on boys and young men were administered by the distributor of the vaccine Merck & Co., Inc. According to the FDA website Merck satisfied the pediatric study requirements and therefore the vaccine is now being offered to both males and females. For females HPV infection can lead to cervical cancer in males the main prevention is protection from genital warts, a much less serious illness but often uncomfortable to deal with. More importantly the vaccine is given in the hopes of helping curb the spread of HPV among both males and females.

Vaccination Against Genital Warts

The most common outward sign of HPV is the onset of genital warts. These warts are found in clusters in many areas of the body. In males the head and shaft of the penis, the scrotum area, anus and mouth are common areas where the warts can appear. The odds of contracting HPV genital warts are increased if the male has not been circumcised. The odds of contracting genital warts are also higher if a person participates in unprotected sex or has multiple sex partners. The vaccination would help prevent all these groups of high-risk individuals from contracting genital warts due to the HPV virus.