I'm so glad your boyfriend is so supportive. Telling your partner is the hardest step, and it takes a lot of strength to do you, and it really shows you how much he cares for you that he's standing by your side.

I work with a grant providing the HPV Vaccine for free to low-income uninsured and under-insured women in Missouri, so here's what I know:

As for the HPV Vaccine, Gardasil, it is approved for females between the ages of 9 and 26. It is a three dose series, given over the course of 6 months. As long as you are 26 as the time of the first dose, you can complete the series. If you are older than 26, don't give up yet; the FDA is reviewing a vaccine called Cervarix by a different manufacturer, and in Australia, women in their 40s are receiving it. The FDA is expected to deliver a decision on that vaccine in January.

As for Gardasil, Merck's studies have shown that women with one or more types of HPV remain protected against the other strains in the vaccine. The vaccine won't treat the HPV you already have, but will provide protection against the strains you don't have. Gardasil contains 4 valents, or parts that contain certain strains. It has show a more than 90% success rate at protecting against types 16 and 18, which are linked to 70% of cervical cancers, and a 100% success rate in protecting against types 6 and 11, which are linked to 90% of genital warts. There are a lot of numbers there, and I'm not verifying this information as I'm typing it, so I may have gotten a little confused, but the point is that it's highly effective. It is not approved for women who are pregnant, and though Merck recommends against using it in women who are breastfeeding, the CDC says it's okay. Again, talk to your doctor and see if this is an option for you. There is also an anchored conversation on this board regarding the vaccine. If you have any more questions, you can ask here, visit www.gardasil.com, or talk to your doctor. Good luck!

P.S. I received my first dose of Gardasil last week. The nurse reminded me to relax my arm, and the only pain I felt was a slight prick as the needle entered the muscle. Some of my cohorts complain of a burning sensation as the vaccine enters the muscle. If you are afraid of needles or have ever fainted during an injection before, ask to lie down while they give you the vaccine.