According to Dr. Alvaro Vives, an andrologist and expert on transmitted infections at the Puigvert Foundation, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is “very effective for men” and also protects them from certain types of cancer and improves overall immunity.
On the occasion of World Sexual Health Day, Monday 4th, Dr. Vives insists on “the need to vaccinate men as well as women” because it is “the only vaccine that has shown protection against the development of certain types of cancer in both sexes. In men in particular, HPV has been associated with certain types of cancer such as anal, penile and oropharyngeal cancers, the latter having an “increasing trend”. In this case, “the effectiveness of the vaccine will stop this trend and improve overall immunity at the same time,” says Dr. Vives.
Galicia was one of five communities that approved the inclusion of the HPV vaccine in the public benefit package for 12-year-old boys. The specialist once again emphasizes “the need for generalization and distribution of vaccination to boys from 14 years old, young men and adults.”
Male HPV vaccination programs conducted in other countries have shown a significant effect in reducing the incidence of HPV as well as anogenital warts. These results “demonstrate the effectiveness of vaccinating men at an early age, preferably before sexual intercourse, although there is no age limit for vaccination,” says Dr. Vives. “Most of the men we vaccinate are sexually active adults who already have an infection,” he adds.
A recent study published in The Lancet Global Health shows that one in three men over the age of 15 is infected with at least one type of genital HPV, and one in five is infected with one or more high-risk HPV types. or oncogenic.