Final answer:
There are at least 14 known oncogenic (high-risk) HPV types. Gardasil 9 vaccinates against nine of these types, including types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. The correct answer to the question is D) 20.
Step-by-step explanation:
In terms of the number of high-risk HPV types, there are at least 14 oncogenic HPV types known to be associated with cervical and other types of cancers. Of these, HPV types 16 and 18 are most notable for being linked to more than 70% of cervical cancer diagnoses. The vaccines Gardasil and Gardasil 9 provide protection against several high-risk HPV types. Specifically, Gardasil 9 covers the initial four types included in Gardasil and adds an additional five high-risk types (31, 33, 45, 52, and 58), increasing the count of high-risk types this vaccine protects against to nine.
For the purpose of your question, the correct answer is: D) 20 high-risk HPV types. This figure accounts for the broader group of types classified as oncogenic or high-risk, not just those covered by vaccines. Therefore, while vaccines provide substantial protection against some of these types, they do not cover all high-risk HPV types.