HPV Vaccine

A vaccine for an STD?! What could be better!!! HPV can cause cervical and other cancers, and while it affects women more severely (like most STDs in indoor plumbing), men would not enjoy having HPV either. It can cause infertility in both sexes, and is not a pleasant or healthy way to sterilize oneself. Thus, it’s probably advisable to get the vaccine and use a barrier.

Women up to age 26 and men up to age 21 are eligible for the vaccine, though it’s possible to talk your doctor, if not your insurance company, in to getting it if you’re a little older. The idea behind the age limits is that, like mono, everyone has been exposed by a certain age. This ageist virginity standard makes it pretty hard to convince your doctor that you’re a 40 year old who’s only had one partner, but if you’re a recent divorcee about to go on the town, consider fighting that fight.

http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html