The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine, for men Oct. 16 to prevent genital warts. Cervarix, a new vaccine for women to prevent cervical cancer, was also approved.

Two out of 1,000 men are diagnosed with genital warts every year, according to a news release from the FDA. Genital warts are caused by an HPV infection.

The vaccine has been used on girls and women since 2006 to protect them against four strands of HPV that cause 90 percent of genital cancers. Scientists predict that the vaccine could prevent men from transferring the virus to women through sexual contact, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal published Oct. 17.

Cheryl Flynn, medical director for Syracuse University’s Health Services, said that the office has administered approximately 15,000 doses of Gardasil in the past 18 months.

Though she said she does not think that men will be interested in getting the vaccine, Flynn said it would decrease the likelihood of their own problems with HPV and infecting their sexual partners if men choose to get it.

‘For those who have not yet been vaccinated, I would encourage them to consider the benefits of vaccination and engage in conversation with their health care provider to make the best decision for their own health and for that of current and future sexual partners,’ Flynn said.

A September 2009 study of 4,055 men between the ages of nine and 26 found that Gardasil was about 90 percent effective against genital warts, according to the Merck and Co., a pharmaceutical research company, Web site.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection and has more than 100 strains, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site.

Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, according to CDC’s Web site.

Gardasil protects against four strains of HPV. It prevents Type 6 and Type 11, which cause 90 percent of genital warts. It also prevents Type 16 and Type 18, which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer in women.

The vaccination should not replace routine cervical cancer screenings and the vaccine does not protect against all HPV strains or prevent all cervical cancers, Flynn said.

GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix was approved for women, ages 9 to 26, to prevent cervical pre-cancers and cervical cancer.

Cervarix prevents HPV Types 16 and 18 and also prevents strands of HPV that may cause tumors.

The FDA approved the vaccine after clinical trials of nearly 30,000 females in more than 30 countries, according to a GlaxoSmithKline news release.

The company has not looked into vaccinating boys with Cervarix, said Jeff McLaughlin, a spokesperson for GlaxoSmithKline.

‘Our priority and our focus has been women,’ he said.

It is important for college-aged girls to be aware of both HPV vaccines because many women have not yet been vaccinated, McLaughlin said.

Both of the new vaccines are given in a series of three shots over a six month period.

dkmcbrid@syr.edu

Published on October 25, 2009 at 12:00 pm

Contact Dara: dkmcbrid@syr.edu | @daramcbride