FDA has approved Gardasil to help prevent genital warts in boys and young men.

Gradasil is now approved for males between the ages of 9-26 for the prevention of genital warts caused by two human papillomavirus (HPV) strains: HPV 6 and HPV 11.

Two of the four HPV strains that Gardasil targets. An FDA advisory panel recommended Gardasil's approval to prevent genital warts in boys and young men. The vaccine was not recommended to prevent cancer in males or to curb transmission of the HPV virus, which is sexually transmitted, to women.

Gardasil is not yet on CDC's schedule of recommended vaccines for males. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will evaluate this possibility at a meeting soon.

The maker of Gardasil is Merck and FDA has already been approved for use in girls and young women ages 9-26. HPV can cause cervical cancer in females.

About 20 million Americans are infected with HPV, and most of these will be able to fight off the infection naturally. About 1 percent sexually active men in the U. S. will develop genital warts from HPV, the CDC said. Gardasil has been approved for use in males in 40 countries already.