2023-08-20 06:00:06
According to a study published in “The Lancet” this Wednesday, August 16, 31% of men over 15 are affected by a form of HPV (Human Papillomavirus). In some types, these are serious cases that can lead to cancer. Image illustration Pixabay
Papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection. This is a family of virus who can infect the skin and mucous membranes, both in women and in men. In terms of protection, condoms can only partially protect against it. There vaccination remains the most effective way. The latter was reserved for young girls exclusively until 2021, but is now open to all. Three vaccines are offered in France to prevent these infections.
In most cases, these infections pose little danger and are asymptomatic. However, some forms can lead to various cancers (cervix, vagina, anus, penis, tonsils, etc.). Just over 200 forms of HPV exist. If nearly a third of men are concerned, 21% are carriers of this virus in a high-risk, potentially oncogenic form. To arrive at this observation, the researchers relied on a grouping of 65 different studies carried out in 35 pays between 1995 and 2022 and involving 44,769 men.
The statistics extracted from these studies show that a peak of 35% in prevalence is observed among men aged 25 to 29. Thereafter, this rate stabilizes or even decreases slightly. Among the male population aged 15 to 19, this rate is 18%. With the exception of theAsia from the East and South East which are half as affected, the other regions of the monde show similar rates.
In 2021, vaccination coverage for girls is around 40% compared to only 10% for boys. Even though this infection is responsible for 6000 cancers per year in France (nearly 100% of cancers of the cervix are moreover the consequence of a papillomavirus), the result of this study only serves as a reminder of the importance to include men in prevention actions against HPV.
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