What do you mean not available? It's the same vaccine for men and women AFAIK. Or do you mean it's usually not paid for by health insurance? I (male) don't remember if I had to pay for the vaccine myself when I got vaccinated, which to me indicates that it wasn't that expensive.

I'm not a doctor nor particularly fond of them, but as I understand it older men who have been sexually active are likely already exposed, so doctors won't prescribe the vaccine nor will insurance cover the cost. I don't know if it's something you can just walk in to a clinic and ask for and pay cash.

The big push lately has been to get kids vaccinated before they are teens, which mine (all males) were.

I have not had this vaccine, but at my age and being married any new sexual contacts are pretty unlikely so not sure there's any benefit to me either way.

I’m getting my course of it now. I’m a ~30 year old man in the US. Maybe other countries haven’t expanded access?

My doctor recommended it to me and it was covered by insurance. They said while it cannot protect you from previous exposure it’s pretty wide so it’s unlikely I have yet to encounter every HPV variation it protects against.

You should check again!

> The CDC suggests catch-up HPV vaccinations for all people through age 26 who aren't fully vaccinated.

> The FDA approved the use of Gardasil 9 for males and females ages 9 to 45.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hpv-infection...

> HPV vaccine is recommended for routine vaccination at age 11 or 12 years. (Vaccination can be started at age 9.)

> ACIP also recommends vaccination for everyone through age 26 years if not adequately vaccinated when younger. HPV vaccination is given as a series of either two or three doses, depending on age at initial vaccination.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/recommendations.htm...

I’m a 38 year old male in the USA and I’ve had two out of three shots of gardasil 9, with my third (final) in a few months. There are multiple strains, so even if you have one, the vaccine will protect against the others.

You have to bring it up to the doctor yourself though.

Im male and had it offered to me by my primary care in like 2009

Last I checked was in the US, 2008.

I was going to be traveling overseas, and was worried it would be required by a foreign country. I wanted all vaccines handled by my American GP, so the records would be in one place. I was very insistent: "Give me every vaccine for every country."

He said if I wanted the vaccine that bad, I'd have to get it overseas.

It was on the checklist at Walgreens when I got my flu shot and COVID booster. Maybe you don't even need a prescription now?

It wasn't approved by the FDA for those over 27 until October 2018. Now that it is, I think technically you need a prescription but requesting it through Walgreens/CVS/etc. means they handle that for you. (COVID/flu are similar - if I look at the records for CVS they show a "prescribing doctor" I've never seen.)

Interesting, at the Walgreens portal I don't see any prescribing doctor listed for any of the vaccinations I've gotten there.

In looking at the little pharmacy receipt they give you, there's certainly a prescription number, and a note that says "DR. AUTH REQUIRED" and at the top of the printout there's a field for "DOCTOR" but no value (like there is for "PATIENT"). I guess I have a question for next year, if I can remember!

I did find out that my state has a law that allows administration of flu vaccine by pharmacists without a prescription. That doesn't account for COVID not having one listed, but maybe that's still part of the emergency use authorization?

In the US Gardasil 9 is FDA approved for men and women up to age 45.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-appr...

That would come as a surprise to me, as a male. What did they give me??