The HPV vaccine known as Gardasil may not be just for females anymore. A recent study shows that the vaccine, currently approved to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer in females, also prevents genital warts in males.

The phase III study involved nearly 4000 males aged 16 to 26 from several countries. The researchers report that Gardasil was about 89% effective in preventing genital warts and that it also appeared to prevent a precancerous condition called penile/perineal/perianal intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN.

The vaccine targets four types of the Human Papillomavirus, two that cause most cases of genital warts in both males and females, and two that are responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancers. One of the major arguments for vaccinating males against HPV is that it could prevent the spread of the virus, potentially eliminating many of the nearly 12,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in U.S. women each year. However, since the vaccine is not cheap – about $375 for three doses given over six months – many males might not want to be immunized if the only benefit to them is genital wart prevention.

But the vaccine might also have a direct cancer benefit for males. Even though cervical cancer makes up nearly 80% of cancers caused by HPV, the virus also causes penile and anal cancers in men. Additionally, recent studies suggest that HPV now causes as many cases of oral and throat cancer as tobacco and alcohol do. Making Gardasil available to boys and young men might also prevent many cases of these cancers in men.

The FDA is awaiting further information from Merck, the makers of Gardasil, before approving the vaccine for use in males. To find out more, see our earlier blog post Gardasil: an overwiev or stop by the Healia Health Community for HPV or the Healia Health Community on Cervical Cancer.

_{Photo: NathanF, Flickr, Creative Commons}