Are males even at risk for contracting HPV or does the virus only affect females?
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is a group of viruses, some of which can cause genital warts, a common condition that anyone who is sexually active- -regardless of gender- – is susceptible to. The CDC estimates that 50 percent of sexually active people will become infected with genital HPV at some point in their lives. If exposed to the HPV virus, the risks of developing cervical cancer (in females) and anal and penile cancer (in males) increases, although the risk of developing the male-specific cancers is relatively low. The HPV vaccine that is currently available in the United States is called Gardasil and consists of a series of three shots given over a six month time period. It is approved for girls and women ages 9 to 26 but has not yet been approved for males, so having your son vaccinated right now is not an option- -but it may be soon. Merck, the makers of Gardasil, has recently completed Phase 3 trials of the vaccine for boys, and some estimate that the vaccine will be available
