HPV vaccine proven to provide real benefits for men, analysis shows

HPV vaccine protects men against various diseases, including cancers. A recent investigation demonstrates that vaccinating boys and men against the human papillomavirus (HPV) not only protects women against cervical cancer but also lowers their risk of head and neck cancers and other cancers. One of the first long-term evaluations of the vaccine’s actual effectiveness in preventing HPV-related malignancies of the head and neck, anal regions, penis, vulva, vagina, and cervix, according to researchers, is the study including more than 3.4 million participants.

Cervical cancer was the primary focus of prior vaccination research. For instance, in a significant 2020 Swedish study, the incidences of cervical cancer were 47 per 100,000 vaccinated women and 94 per 100,000 unvaccinated women. The new survey comprised almost equal numbers of identical unvaccinated volunteers and over 1.7 million volunteers who had an HPV vaccination between the ages of 9 and 39 between 2010 and now. In this survey, 44% of the participants were men, and the plan is to elaborate on it at the next American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

According to the study, Reutters indicated that males who received vaccinations had reduced rates of head and neck cancers (3.4 and 2.8 instances per 100,000 vaccinated patients) and all HPV-related cancers (7.5 and 6.3 cases per 100,000 unvaccinated patients). ASCO President Dr Lynn Schuchter stated at a meeting that HPV infections are now the primary cause of the majority of head and neck cancers, including cancers of the mouth and throat, as opposed to smoking’s historical role as the primary cause.

She continued, saying that the new research “extends what we know” and demonstrates how receiving the vaccination can help avoid infection and these additional HPV-related malignancies. Compared to females who were not vaccinated, vaccinated women had a decreased risk of cervical cancer and, predictably, a lower risk of any HPV-related cancers in the study. Their risks of developing vulvar or vaginal cancer, as well as head and neck cancers, were not considerably decreased by vaccination.

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