Should men also take HPV vaccinations to safeguard themselves?

About Author: Dr Mukul Roy, Consultant Clinical and Radiation Oncologist, Jaslok hospital, Mumbai. With overall 11 Years of experience, Dr. Mukul Roy currently practices Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy & Image guided radiotherapy. Her special interests are in breast & gynecological cancers, colorectal cancers, prostate cancer and brain tumors. In addition to radiation, she is also keen on improving quality of life in cancer patients and survivors.

Human papilloma virus is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Around the world approximately 14 million people including teenagers are infected with human papilloma virus every year with this viral infection. Approximately more than half of all the people who are sexually active get infected with HIV virus at some point in their lives but majority the people never know about it and as a result they may keep spreading the virus to others without even realizing it.

It is very interesting to know that that it is asymptomatic (no symptoms and signs) but is responsible for causing many of the sexually transmitted diseases as well as cancers. The virus basically infects cells on the skin surface which line the genitals, the mouths, the throat and anal canal but not the blood or internal organs. The different types of HPV cause different types of warts on different parts of the body for eg. on the hands and feet and many cause warts on the lips as well. Some types are very high-risk viruses are linked to cancers like anal cancers as well as cervical cancer vulval cancer (external genitals of women) and vaginal cancer in women, cancers of the penis in men and other cancers of the mouth and throat in both the genders.

HPV 16 and the HPV 18 are the most common and notorious for causing these types of cancer. Men who have sex with men have higher incidence and probability of developing anal cancers due to the HPV virus. Also, smoking and lowered immunity which happens in cases of people who are infected with HIV virus (Human immune deficiency virus) are at a higher risk of developing anal cancers. Hence this group of people must necessarily get vaccinated against the HPV virus which will prevent the development of the various types of cancers mentioned above.

Cervical cancers and anal cancers are known malignancies which are most frequently associated with the HPV virus and it is transmitted via the sexual route- oral, vaginal and anal. Hence the principle of immunisation with HPV vaccine is propagated which has a possibility of impacting and reducing the cases of anal cancer, cervical cancers and Vaginal calls due to HPV virus.

The HPV vaccine is therefore not only limited to administering in the females but in the men as well.

The Centre for disease control and prevention highly recommend that this is HPV vaccine should be given to boys as well as girls between the ages 11 and 12. The range of age is 9 to 26 years as the vaccine must be given before the sexual exposure happens.

In India the most common vaccines available against HPV are Gardasil vaccine and Cervarix vaccine which cost around 2800 INR and 3299 INR respectively. In India the upper limit is the age of 45 and the best time to administer is between the age 9 to 13 years of age.

Safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine

They have many trials which evaluated the efficacy and safety issues of the vaccine and they claim that it is nearly 100 percent effective in preventing cervical cancers , anal cancers and vaginal cancers caused by the HPV virus. The HPV vaccine must be actively given to the men as well women because it will prevent diseases like anal cancers specially in men who have men as sexual partners as well as men who are heterosexual.

Therefore, precautions which must be taken in having safe sex and using barrier methods of contraception as it is of utmost importance because it not only prevents STDs but also these kinds of cancers which air caused due to HPV virus.

Adopting healthier lifestyle like quitting smoking and enhancing the immunity is also equally important to prevent these types of cancers. Diet rich in fruits and vegetables and antioxidants helps in preventing the development of most of the anal cancer cervical cancers and a variety of other cancers by enhancing the repair mechanisms of the body. These in turn strengthen the DNA machinery in the body thereby preventing the development of abnormal calls that lead to variety of cancers.