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Gardasil is a vaccine manufactured by Merck for treatment of the human skin and mucous membrane disease called Human PapillomaVirus (HPV). The significance of the vaccine for many people goes beyond simply preventing the warts that are often a symptom of the disease and onto the prevention of the cervical cancer that can sometimes result from HPV infection. For those worried about this possibility a vaccine is a particularly welcome development, especially as there is no cure for the disease.

Human papillomavirus comes in around 130 different forms, of which around 30-40 are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It is caused by a DNA based virus that often results in warts, known as papillomas, from where the name of the disease comes from. Although in some cases there are no symptoms at all at the other end of the spectrum of seriousness there is the possibility that abnormalities of the cervix will be caused that act as precursors to cervical cancer.

Gardasil is the only currently available vaccine for treatment of human papillomavirus. (Another vaccine, called Cervarix, is currently undergoing clinical trials). These vaccines are designed to elicit an immune response to the virus that stimulates the production of antibodies that are capable of neutralizing the virus before infection can take a hold.

Gardasil is aimed at preventing four particular types of HPV, including Types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Of these, prevention of Types 16 and 18 is important because they are cited in 70% of cervical cancer cases. Meanwhile prevention of Types 6 and 11 is important because they are involved in about 90% of cases of genital warts.

Gardasil is almost 100% effective in stopping the development of genital warts and the abnormalities of the cervix that are the precursor to cervical cancer. The vaccine provides protection from the disease for as much as 4 years after the vaccination has been given. However, vaccines are not cures, they are a purely preventative measure, so this doesn’t help those who already have the disease.

Gardasil has few side effects and these are very minor ones such as soreness around the area of the injection and fainting. Indeed the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) both consider it to be safe to use. Ideally all uninfected females between 9 and 26 should receive vaccination in an effort to significantly decrease the incidences of cervical cancer that will appear later in life.