Half of Men Have HPV Infections: Study

New research suggests that half of adult males may be infected with human papillomavirus, certain strains of which cause most cases of genital warts and cervical cancer. The STD also is linked to anal, penile, head, and neck cancers. And while women, especially as they age, appear better able to clear HPV infection, men seem to lack this capability, said study leader Anna Giuliano.
"The biology seems to be very similar to women," said Giuliano, of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Fla. "What is different is men seem to have high prevalence of genital HPV infections throughout their lifespans."
The research team examined HPV infection rates among 1,159 men in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. The men, who were recruited from the general population, universities, and organized health care systems, all were HIV-negative with no history of cancer. They were assessed every six months, with median follow-up of 27.5 months.
"We found that there is a high proportion of men who have genital HPV infections," Giuliano said. "At enrollment, it was 50 percent." The rate of new HPV acquisition among the men was similar to that noted among women. About 6 percent of men per year became infected with HPV type 16, which causes cervical cancer in women and other cancers in men.
Although US doctors are permitted to vaccinate both young females and males against HPV, the shots are part of routine recommendations for young females only.
These latest results "must surely strengthen the argument for vaccination of men, both for their own protection, and that of their partners," said a statement by Dr. Anne Szarewski of London's Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine.
The full study, "Incidence and Clearance of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection in Men (HIM): A Cohort Study," was published in the Lancet (2011;doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62342-2).