There might be some benefit of having the vaccine even if you already have HPV - as it covers against four strains, that's still three (or four! If the one you have isn't included) more strains that you are protected against.

Important thing to remember is that unfortunately the vaccine doesn't mean you are off the hook for pap smears!

The medical buzz that I'm hearing at uni is that even if you're older than 26 it's quite possibly worth having the vaccine anyway. It's not going to cause any harm to over 26s that it wouldn't to under 26 people. The main reason that it's indicated for that age group is that it's assumed that most people are sexually active by 26 and then it's too late. But being sexually active does not mean that you have necessarily caught the virus yet!