A study by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) concluded that the expansion of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among adolescent males and young adults should extend to age 26.
We are talking about extending vaccination to male adolescents and young people who have not yet begun sexual activity.
Experts believe that with this extension, it will be possible to reduce the risk of contracting the virus and developing related diseases such as cancer.
“In the male population, the HPV vaccine is effective in preventing diseases associated with this virus. Efficacy remains significant in men, even with prior HPV infection or disease, up to age 26,” explains researcher Carmen Lisboa, cited in the study summary, shared with Lusa .
The data from this study have already been published in the scientific journal Vaccines.
The team analyzed international data on 14,239 male participants, of whom 1,076 were boys aged 9 to 15 from around the world and with different sexual orientations.
The results showed that the vaccine was more effective in men without HPV infection, which is consistent with younger boys, especially children and adolescents.
The efficacy of the vaccine was also evident in men under the age of 26, whether or not they had a history of HPV.
Carmem Lisboa adds that “studies conducted and analyzed in this systematic review showed no difference in the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing infection and HPV-related diseases in groups of men with different sexual orientations or men with HIV infection, up to that age.”
Initially, the HPV vaccine was recommended for girls before sexual debut, between the ages of 10 and 12 years.
Studies later demonstrated the vaccine’s efficacy in boys as well, and as of October 1, 2020, the National Vaccine Program (PNV) extended HPV vaccination to boys starting at 10 years of age.
The maximum age for vaccination of boys is 17 years.
HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection among young people (15 to 25 years of age).
Up to 80% of men and women will contract HPV at some point in their lives.
In addition to the anogenital tract, the virus can enter the oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx, causing malignancies such as anal and genital cancer, as well as head and neck cancer.
The vaccine is preventive in nature and is not intended to treat infection in people who are already infected.
FMUP data indicate that “vaccine efficacy in men under 26 years of age without prior infection ranges from 89% for genital warts and from 90% to 92% for prevention of precancerous lesions and anal cancer.” .
“Given that we have evidence of the effectiveness of vaccination up to 26 years old, free vaccination in PNV should cover these young people up to and including 26 years old, that is, until the day they turn 27 years old,” Carmem Lisboa defends.
While acknowledging that “cost is one of the main barriers to HPV vaccination,” the researcher adds that “the fact that it was advertised as a cervical cancer prevention targeting women made it difficult to introduce it to men.”
“Vaccination against HPV should be gender-neutral,” he stresses.
Study “Impact of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination on Male Diseases: A Systematic Review” in Portuguese “Impact of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination on Male Diseases: A Systematic Review” is also signed by Catarina Rosado, Angela Rita Fernández and Acasio Gonçalves Rodrigues. FMUP professors and CINTESIS@RISE researchers.
The study was funded by the Horizon Europe and North 2020 program.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.