The short answer
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine prevents infection by high-risk strains responsible for cervical, anal, throat, penile, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.
The HPV vaccine targets high-risk strains behind cervical, anal, throat, penile, vaginal and vulvar cancers.
The FDA approves HPV vaccination for people up to age 45.
Benefit is highest when the vaccine is given before exposure to the virus.
Watch: The vaccine that prevents cancer
46 sec · Captioned · The HPV vaccine prevents six cancer types, and is approved up to age 45.
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The full explanation.
HPV Vaccination and Cancer Prevention: Protecting Against 6 Cancer Types
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine prevents infection by high-risk strains. Those strains cause cervical, anal, throat, penile, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.
Representative Story Disclosure
This is a representative story created from common experiences described by patients and caregivers. It is not the story of one identifiable person, and individual experiences can differ substantially.
Which HPV types the vaccine covers
HPV is very common, and most infections clear on their own. A dozen or so types are called high risk, because a lasting infection with one of them can lead to cancer.
Gardasil 9 is the HPV vaccine used in the United States. NCI reports that it prevents infection with nine types:
- Types 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital warts.
- Types 16 and 18, two high-risk types that cause about 70% of cervical cancers, and an even larger share of some other HPV-caused cancers.
- Types 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, high-risk types behind another 10% to 20% of cervical cancers.
The vaccine works the way other vaccines do. It prompts the body to make antibodies. If HPV turns up later, those antibodies bind to the virus and stop it from infecting cells.
Who it is recommended for
CDC recommendations, summarized by NCI, are:
- Ages 9 through 26. Vaccination is routine at age 11 or 12, and can start at age 9. It is recommended for everyone through age 26 who was not fully vaccinated earlier.
- Ages 27 through 45. The FDA has approved the vaccine up to age 45, but it is not routinely recommended in this age group. Instead, your clinician can talk it through with you and help you decide.
Protection is greatest when the vaccine is given before a person is exposed to HPV, which in practice means before they become sexually active. Adults still get some benefit.
What the evidence shows so far
The vaccine prevents HPV infection at several sites of the body, in both men and women. It also prevents precancerous changes. Beyond that, NCI reports that real-world data now show the vaccine greatly reduces how often these cancers occur. Protection against the targeted HPV types has lasted more than a decade so far.
Vaccination does not replace cervical screening. Keep to the screening schedule your care team recommends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can adults receive the HPV vaccine?
Yes. The FDA approves the HPV vaccine for people up to age 45. The benefit is highest when it is given before exposure to the virus.
Questions to Ask Your Care Team
- "Is the HPV vaccine recommended for me or my family members?"
- "How effective is the vaccine at preventing HPV-related cancers?"
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Common questions
Can adults receive the HPV vaccine?
Yes. The FDA approves the HPV vaccine for individuals up to age 45, though benefit is highest when given before exposure to the virus.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Written by: Cancer ExplainedSources last checked: 2026-08-11 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-11Next planned review: 2027-07-23
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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