For women, a pap smear can detect the possible presence of HPV when abnormal test results are yielded. In some cases, doctors who observe an abnormal test result from a pap smear can request for an HPV test to confirm the presence of the virus. However, due to the higher prevalence of harmless HPV infections, many doctors do not order HPV tests frequently.
Although HPV is categorized as an sexually transmitted infection, (STI) it can be spread by simple skin-on-skin contact such as holding hands. As such, a person can become infected even if he or she is not sexually active. With this in mind, HPV vaccines are an important addition to the schedule of immunizations administered by pediatricians.
The HPV vaccine is typically administered to both male and female children of 11 to 12 years of age. This is done to allow time for the child's immune system to create the necessary antibodies. There are two different vaccines for HPV: gardacil and cervarix; cervarix is exclusively for females, while gardacil is given to both women and men.
http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccine.html