Why is the HPV vaccine only pushed for women, when its known to do this to men?

Question

I have a professor who really pushes that the HPV vaccine should be given to men. Her reason are:

Men can get it from women, and it can be spread (by oral sex) to the mouth, larynx, and lungs. The virus may cause warts even if it doesn't lead to cancer -- these may be genital warts or warts of the oral cavity and respiratory track. Unfortunately, the problem of laryngeal, tracheal, and bronchial warts is overlooked due to the focus on cancer, but the effect on the air way can become quite debilitating or life-threatening (often ruining voice and sometimes becoming fatal in the trachea, bronchi, and lungs due to blockage of airflow). Its unknown if it cause repirator cancer, but seen as possibe (since it infects those area). The vaccine is aproved for men.

This all makes sense to me. Also, men who don't become infected can't pass it to women.

Yet its pushed only as womans' vaccine -- any ideas why?

Answer 1

This may sound cynical, but I think it has to do with money. Tossing the word "cancer" around makes people more fearful, and thus more likely to buy the vaccine.

Also, if men think they are immune to several common HPV-derived conditions, they might become even more resistant than they already are about wearing condoms, so it might be that the vaccine maker is being pressured into not pushing it towards men to keep condom use up...

Just a couple thoughts after being up all night... :-)

Answer 2

It was originally conceived (No pun intended) as a vaccine against cervical cancer. Since men don't have a cervix, it wasn't targeted for men. It's still under discussion, but there's no reason to think it won't eventually be used for men once the appropriate tests and experiments have been made.