It's currently recommended for:
- all girls ages 11 and 12 (although it can be given as early as 9 years).
- all girls/women ages 13-26 who have not had the vaccine.
- women with abnormal pap smears, genital warts, or certain other conditions.
Bottom line: If you're in any of those recommended groups, urge your health care plan to include it in their coverage. Out of pocket, it's currently $125 per dose, three doses total, but the four types of HPV it protects against are often responsible for non-hereditary forms of cervical cancer.
(Read more at
healthychildren: "Cervical cancer vaccine follow-up: The good and the good".) 