Quote Originally Posted by birdgirl73
Hey, 420Miss, the Gardisil vaccine protects against four types of HPV. Those four types cause 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts, which means the vaccine provides good coverage. But it also means there are other types of HPV out there that you won't be vaccinated against.

So it's still real important to have your partner wear protection. The reason they like to give the vaccine to very young girls is to catch them before they've become sexually active. If you've already been sexually active, chances are good you have already have picked up one of the HP viruses, even if you've just had one partner. The viruses are that prevalent nowadays, especially among the young population. Still, you likely won't yet have picked up all four of the highest-risk types of the HP virus, so the vaccine is still beneficial for young women who've already had sexual activity.

Make sure you have your regular yearly "lady" exams and ask your doc or nurse-practitioner about doing an HPV test when your Pap is done. (The tests are very similar). That'll help you know where you stand now and help them be on the lookout for future problems if you've already been exposed.
wouldn't you know if you had one of the viruses?