HPV in men: Signs and risks

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Similar to women, HPV in men can still cause genital warts. Although not so common, certain types of HPV in men also put men at risk of genital cancer.

1. Risk of HPV infection in men

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted disease.
In sexually active gay and bisexual men, the risk of anal cancer is about 17 times higher than in men who have sex only with women. Men infected with HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, are also more susceptible to cancers.

2. Signs of HPV in Men

2.1. Genital warts Genital warts are the first symptom that can be detected when infected with certain types of HPV in men. Meanwhile, high-risk viruses that cause cancer are rarely accompanied by any symptoms in both men and women.
There is no cure for HPV infection in men if the person does not develop symptoms. Instead, doctors treat health problems caused by the HPV virus.
For warts, the patient can apply a prescription cream at home or surgically remove the wart. All warts usually do not appear at the same time. Therefore, if treatment is started as soon as the first warts are detected, it is likely that the patient will continue to need more treatments later.
2.2. Certain types of cancer Most cancers found in the back of the throat, including at the base of the tongue and tonsils, are associated with HPV. In fact, these are the most common HPV-associated cancers in men, with more than 13,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

3. Preventing the spread of HPV in men

The HPV vaccine has been approved by the FDA for men ages 9 to 26 to prevent genital warts caused by two strains of HPV-6 and HPV-11, as well as prevent anal cancer. Not having sex or remaining fully monogamous is the only way to prevent HPV transmission. The risk of infection can be reduced if a person has sex only with an uninfected partner, and vice versa. But if your longtime partner is found to have HPV, that doesn't mean they've recently betrayed you and had sex with someone else. The virus can lie dormant in the body for years without causing any noticeable symptoms. To reduce the risk of HPV transmission in men, men need to avoid having sex with many different partners and must choose someone who has never had sex or has had only a few sex partners in the past. Condoms can also protect men against HPV, but won't be 100% effective. The reason is because HPV is mainly transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, so the virus is still able to attack areas outside the coverage of a condom. In a recent study in sexually active young women, if their partners regularly used condoms every time they had sex, their chances of getting the virus would be 70% lower than those of other sexually active women. couples use condoms less than 5%. Currently in the community, HPV virus is still widely known as a cause of cervical cancer in women. However, the reality is that both men and women can be infected with HPV and pass it on to others without even knowing it. HPV infection in men also causes mild to serious health problems, including genital warts and certain types of cancer. Therefore, men need to know the signs and risks, as well as how to prevent HPV virus in men effectively.
To book an appointment for HPV examination and vaccination at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE.
Reference article source: webmd.com
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Can men get HPV? What disease can HPV virus cause in men? Should men get the HPV vaccine?