For the Boys...

The results of a new study on Gardasil were just released, and unlike most of the previous studies this one was looking at the effects of the HPV vaccine on men. The study found that although the vaccine had limited efficacy in preventing HPV infections altogether - they were only reduced by half - the number of symptomatic cases of genital warts were reduced by almost 90% and the number of precancerous cellular changes seemed to be reduced as well. The vaccine also appeared to help men clear an HPV infection faster - fewer individuals who got the vaccine and became infected with HPV were still positive 6 months out. This is great news, and will hopefully help speed the vaccine towards approval for use in males. Further studies are planned to see if providing the vaccine to men also reduces the burden of HPV in their female partners.

• How Does Gardasil Work?
• HPV Overview