A new study suggests that the HPV vaccine not only prevents cervical cancer in women but also reduces the risk of mouth and throat cancers in men.
However, fewer boys than girls are getting vaccinated in the US.
The HPV
vaccine has been credited with lowering cervical cancer rates in women, but its impact on men has been less clear.
The new research, which compared 3.4 million vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, found that vaccinated men had fewer cases of mouth and throat cancers, which are more common in men than women.
The study provides evidence that the HPV
vaccine can prevent HPV-related cancers in men as well as women.
The text discusses the results of a study that found vaccinated men had a lower risk of developing HPV-related cancers, such as anus, penis, mouth, and throat cancers, compared to unvaccinated men.
The study showed that there were 57 HPV-related cancers among the unvaccinated men and 26 among the vaccinated men.
The study's co-author, Dr. Joseph Curry, believes the maximum benefit from the
vaccine will be seen in the next few decades.
The second study released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology shows that vaccination rates are rising but males are lagging behind females in getting the HPV shots.
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to cancer in about 37,000 cases per year in the US.
The HPV
vaccine has been recommended since 2006 for girls and since 2011 for boys at the age of 11 or 12, with catch-up shots available for those up to age 26.
A recent study showed that HPV vaccination rates among young females rose from 38% to 49% between 2011 and 2020, while rates among young males increased from 8% to 36%.
However, vaccination rates among males still lag behind those of females.
The text emphasizes the importance of HPV
vaccines for both boys and girls in reducing the risk of cancer.
Jasmin Tiro, from the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, encourages parents to get their children vaccinated against HPV, even if they are boys and have not been vaccinated yet.
She stresses the importance of getting the
vaccine before exposure to the virus.