The vaccine Gardasil can protect young men from cancer

Pharmaceutical company Merck, announced last week, that it's vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV), and it is effective for boys and young men.

Initially, the vaccine Gardasil, was tested only among girls and women as well as it's main objective - to protect women against cervical cancer, which can cause HPV. This is the first test of vaccine for men.

HPV infections related to HIV infection. Among men, the virus can lead to anal cancer, which most often occurs in HIV-positive people.

The study was conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, as reported UCSF Today. The study involved 4,065 men and boys aged 16 to 26 years. The vaccine protects against four types of HPV - 6, 11, 16 and 18, which most often leads to cancer. Among the half of the participants who received the vaccine were 15 cases of infection, one of the varieties of the virus. In the control group receiving a placebo, was recorded 101 cases of infection.

Gardasil approved in the U.S. and Europe, they often vaccinate girls from 9 years and older in school vaccination programs. Previously it was shown that Gardasil effective in preventing HPV strains 16 and 18, which cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer. The vaccine also reduces the risk of genital warts - warts, other effects of HPV - 90%.

Although the vaccine is little tested on men, in some countries, its application for boys and men have already endorsed. Now pharmacy campaign going to apply for approval of the vaccine in the U.S. for men from 9 to 26 years to prevent genital warts and precancerous entities.

HPV can potentially lead to cancer penis, but the disease is relatively rare. Mass vaccination to prevent genital warts and cancer of the penis can not be justified in terms of value. But scientists note that there are other reasons for the vaccination of men. If vaccinating both men and women, it would drastically reduce the incidence of HPV in the general population.

Another reason for vaccination - anal cancer, which is particularly common among homosexual men. Most HIV-positive men have chronic HPV infection. For people with HIV both sexes, there is an increased risk of anal cancer. In addition, HPV is a risk factor for certain types of cancer of the mouth, which often occur in men.