Many of you will have heard of the human papilloma virus, since there is a vaccine to prevent it in the Spanish vaccination calendar. The problem is that it is covered by social security, only and exclusively for women, but… should men also be vaccinated?
What is HPV?
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a group of more than 200 related viruses and are generally sexually transmitted . Yes, generally, that’s what I’ve said. Some of the strains can be spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, which is why it has always been recommended to wear flip-flops when you enter locker rooms or public pools, because stagnant water can transmit this and many other skin diseases that they stick to the feet.
Returning to the subject, HPV is a group of viruses that are generally sexually transmitted, so they tend to affect the genital, anal or oral areas . And much to our regret, a papillomavirus infection has a risk of causing cancer .
HPV and cancer
You may not think so, but it is such a common virus in the sexually active population that around 80% of men and women have contracted it at some point in their lives , sometimes even without knowing it.
The “luck” is that most HPV infections go away on their own within 1 to 2 years and do not cause cancer; But sometimes these infections last longer in the body, staying long enough to cause cell changes that, if left untreated, can worsen and lead to cancer.
For this reason, there are two clearly differentiated categories based on the risk of producing cancer: low-risk HPV and high-risk HPV. The low risk ones do not cause diseases, yes, sometimes they can give you the odd substitute, since some of the strains can produce warts where they have infected (genitals, anus, throat,…). Instead, high-risk ones can cause several types of cancer. There are about 14 types of high-risk HPV, but two of them in particular, HPV16 and HPV18, are responsible for the majority of cancers related to these viruses.
An important issue to clarify is that the fact that a person is infected with a low-risk strain does not mean that the risk of ending up in cancer is zero , it means that this risk is lower, so if this is your case, do not trust and consult your gynecologist.
Among the areas most prone to HPV cancer we find the cervix, oropharynx, anus, penis, vulva and vagina .
Prevention and detection
HPV infection often shows no symptoms . For this reason, it is important to take preventive measures against HPV , such as avoiding risky sexual relations, vaccination against papillomavirus and regular gynecological check-ups.
It should be noted that the use of condoms and oral dams greatly decreases the probability of transmission, but does not completely prevent it , hence the importance of being vaccinated.
As for how to detect it when it does not show symptoms, it is as simple as doing periodic routine check-ups with your gynecologist . In check-ups, an exhaustive exploration of the female reproductive system is carried out, where in addition to evaluating possible visible alterations, a routine test called Papanicolaou is carried out, which allows abnormal cells to be detected in the cervix. If everything goes well, you don’t have to worry, but if the Pap test is altered, your gynecologist will consider doing more tests to rule out some possible pathologies such as HPV.
There are also HPV tests for men , but these are usually only carried out when the virus is suspected, since it consists of sticking a stick similar to the one used to carry out a COVID PCR down there (yes, through the penis), something that is not very pleasant to say.
The vaccine
In Spain we have had access to the vaccine to prevent certain varieties of HPV for almost 15 years . We currently have 3 vaccines available, one that protects against strains 16 and 18 (bivalent), another that protects against strains 6, 11, 16 and 18 (quadrivalent), and the most recent and complete one, marketed since 2017, which protects against the previous strains in addition to 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 ( nonavalente ).
This vaccine is especially recommended for the young population who have not yet had sexual intercourse . In our country, free vaccination is included for 12-year-old girls with 2 doses, and with 3 doses for any unvaccinated or partially vaccinated woman under 18 years of age. In addition, according to each autonomous community, a certain risk population under 26 years of age is also being vaccinated with 3 doses.
Despite the fact that the vaccination calendar in Spain does not contemplate men when it comes to immunizing them free of charge, their vaccination is highly recommended . Although it may be that women have a higher risk of developing cancer from this virus, men are not exempt from risks, and vaccinating them, in addition to reducing the possible complications that they may suffer as a result of HPV, also means less transmission of the virus, which translates into fewer infected people at risk of cancer .
If after reading us you want to get vaccinated or you want to vaccinate your child, do not hesitate to visit your doctor and find out how you could do it and which of the three options is the best for your case.
References:
Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (2022, February). Common vaccination schedule throughout life. Ministry of Health. https://www.sanidad.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/prevPromocion/vacunaciones/calendario-y-coberturas/docs/CalendarioVacunacion_Todalavida.pdf
Mayo Clinic (2021, October 12). HPV infection – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/es-es/diseases-conditions/hpv-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20351596
Medline Plus (nd). Human papilloma virus. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/hpv.html
Morris, SR (2021, January 11). Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. MSD Manuals. https://www.msdmanuals.com/en/home/infections/enfermedades-de-transmisi%C3%B3n-sexual-ets/infecci%C3%B3n-por-el-virus-del-papiloma-humano-hpv
NIH (2021, January 22). The human papillomavirus (HPV) and cancer. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/espanol/cancer/causas-prevencion/risk/germenes-infectiosos/vph-y-cancer
