HPV--we saw this coming, right?

[SagMom]

The only available vaccine against HPV, made by Merck & Co. Inc., is currently given only to girls and young women. But Merck plans this year to ask government permission to offer the shot to boys.

Studies suggest oral sex is associated with HPV-related oral cancers, but a cause-effect relationship has not been proved. Other researchers have suggested that even unwashed hands can spread it to the mouth as well.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i...NzzNwD8UHQ3KG0

[Romana]

Yep, no surprises there. HPV for boys and fearmongering. Don't forget you can get Hep B from a countertop and HIV from sitting on a toilet.

Oh wait, you can't get HIV from sitting on a toilet (or the risk is considered infinitesimal) until AFTER there's a vaccine for it.

[ripcurlgirl26]

No big surprise there. I wonder how teenage or pre-adolesecent boys will accept it after it's been marketed as a female-only vaccine for so long. Not that they'll really have a say.

[llamalluv]

The part that really bugs me is this:

Indeed, it's not clear yet that the vaccine even prevents the HPV infection in males, let alone cancer or any other illness, said Debbie Saslow of the American Cancer Society.

Merck plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the vaccine in men later this year, meaning a government decision would be likely in 2009.

"We don't think it works, but we're going to sell it anyway." :

[phdmama06]

Fabulous :