FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Approving HPV Vaccine Gardasil for Males Ages 9 to 26 to Prevent Genital Warts

Today, An FDA advisory committee voted to recommend approval of the vaccine Gardasil for males ages 9 to 26 to prevent genital warts, but not to prevent cancer.  Actual FDA approval may or may not come, at a later date.

There’s been an alarming degree of fear mongering about the prevalence of Anal Cancer among MsM in our community.  Much of this has been played out in support of Merck Pharmaceutical’s FDA application to make it’s drug, Gardisol, avaliable to boys and young men.

No data shows that Gardasil offers direct protection against cancer. Instead, the vaccine has the potential to be protective based on its ability to prevent the persistent HPV infections that can be precursors to cancer.

Gardasil acts on 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Males can carry HPV and transmit it sexually to their partners.

HPV can cause genital warts and penile and anal cancer in men. According to  the FDA about 200 out of 100,000 Amercian males are newly diagnosed with genital warts, every year . Penile cancer and anal cancer are much rarer.

Much more research needs to be conducted before we can say for certain that there is anything close to an epidemic or increase of Anal Cancer in our community. The national gay men’s cancer survivor nonprofit, Malecare, has been providing support and information about Anal Cancer in our community, since 1998.  We have a long way to go towards understanding this disease. Meanwhile, all men should, without fail, ask about Anal Cancer with their doctors or at their local clinics.