The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that Merck's vaccine, Gardasil, which is presently used to prevent cervical cancer in women also stops viruses that lead to genital warts in men.

FDA's online document claimed thata the vaccine prevented genital warts in males 90 percent of the time. Merck has asked FDA to approve Gardasil for boys and men between the ages of 9-26. FDA will make its decision based on the advice of a panel of vaccine advisers.

The vaccine works by blocking the two strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which leads to irregular growths and rare cancers in male genitals.

Side effects observed caused due to Gardasil were not severe and included pain and swelling at the injection site.

Gardasil was first introduced and approved for women in 2006, and the sales touched over $1 billion last year.

Although cancer of the penis and anus are extremely rare with less than 2,000 cases reported every year, but as many as 6 million contract HPV in the U.S. There are no symptoms usually and out of the 40 strains of the virus which are spread through sexual contact, just 15 cause cancer in men and women.

Dr. Richard Haupt, Merck's head researcher for Gardasil said, "Gardasil is highly efficacious and we should see an impact on men's health because of that."