A Vaccine May Shield Boys Too

Have you ever heard of Gardasil? Gardasil is a vaccine approved for young women ages 9 to 26, on the market since 2009 that is supposed to protect
against four strains of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), including two that can lead to cancer of the cervix, vagina and vulva. Recently there has been a development and the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for young men ages 9 to 26. If your asking what protection do boys get from this vaccine there was one direct health benefit: a reduced risk of, though not complete protection from genital warts.
Even though genital warts aren’t cancer. Only two in 1,000 men get a new diagnosis of genital warts each year. They can be painful, embarrassing and persistent, much like warts on the hands or feet, they are not life-threatening, as cervical cancer may be. With only one benefit of Gardasil parents are reluctant to subject their sons to a new vaccine. Well…HPV strains 16 and 18, which the vaccine protects against, have been linked to anal cancer, penile cancer and common cancers of the back of the throat and tonsils, where the virus can spread through oral sex.
The vaccine has been tested for safety in just 1,000 boys younger than 16. In a trial of 4,055 young men ages 16 to 26, the most common side effects were headache, fever and pain, itching, redness, swelling and bruising. I think that everyone who can be vaccinated against any kind of potential life/health threatening disease should take any precautions that are available. So what if it only has one health benefit.. its better than nothing at all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19garda.html?ref=science
http://www.gardasil.com/what-is-gardasil/information-on-gardasil/