(HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease that has been linked to cancer of the cervix and a host of other cancers.
The HPV vaccine is designed to prevent infection by the HPV-16 and HPV-18 strains of the virus, which are responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancers, the American Cancer Society says.
The virus also can lead to cancers of the anus, penis, vagina and throat.
Here are the society's suggestions for who should get the vaccine, and when: