Not true. You can and you should get vaccinated, whether you're male or female, between the ages of nine and 26, regardless of whether you've been sexually active or not. Gardasil vaccinates against four types of HPV - two high risk types that cause 70% of all cervical cancers, and two low risk types that cause 90% of genital warts. And even if you do have one type, it's possible you don't have the other three, so you can and should still get the Gardasil shot.
The myth about only being able to get vaccinated if you're a virgin probably stems from the minimum age that boys and girls can get the vaccine - nine years old. The reason the vaccine is available at nine? To reduce the likelihood that the recipient of the shot has already been exposed to one of the types. It definitely doesn't mean that once you've been sexually active, it's too late. It's just that the sooner you're vaccinated, the better, because the vaccine has the best chance of protecting you against all four strains when the likelihood of having already been exposed is lowest. And parents, don't forget: even though your kids might not be having sex yet, HPV can be transmitted without actual intercourse.
Also related to 'the sooner the better' theory when it comes to this vaccination: The #1 risk factor is lifetime number of partners. And that little factoid is probably why Alan Evans refused to report his number of partners - repeatedly - prior to trial.
This is Post #11 in the series, Debunking HPV Myths. For other parts of the series, click here.
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