Vaccine and Hygiene For Preventing HPV STD

Vaccines are available to guard against a variety of different
infections and illnesses and are indicated for a number of different
patient populations. This blog will focus on human papillomavirus
(HPV).

Most HPV infections are asymptomatic and typically resolve in 1-2
years. the HPV infection is not female specific as the infection can
cause genital warts, warts in the throat, oral and anal cancers. The
HPV vaccine can prevent most of these cases if the vaccine is given
before exposure to the virus. If the HPV vaccine is given at an early
enough age, the vaccine can also prevent vaginal cancer in females.

Two vaccines have been developed for the prevention of HPV and both
vaccines are offered as a 3-dose series that is typically completed
over six months.

Gardasil vaccine provides immunity against HPV infections of 6, 11,
16, and 18 genotypes. Genotypes 6 and 11 are associated with the
majority fo cases of condyloma accuminata or genital warts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended
the routine use of Gardasil for boys and young men 9-26 years of age
for the prevention of genital warts and other HPV related disease in
men and bosy. It is recommended that boys and men receiving the
injections complete the entire series for maximum protection.

Bottom Line: HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease, most
infections are asymptomatic, however certain types can casue cancer of
the penis, vagina, and throat. Early vaccination in both boys and
girls helps prevent infection and future complications. For more
information contact your physician or pediatrician.

Vaccinations for the Penis

You may have heard of the common STD condyloma or veneral warts which are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).  Women have a vaccine (Gardisil) to reduce the risk of condyloma and cervical cancer. HPV can cause certain cancers of the anus and penis in men, although those diseases are far less common than cervical cancer in women. An estimated 20 million Americans, men and women, are currently infected with HPV. Symptoms are rare, however, so most people have the virus — and pass it on — without realizing it.

Now boys and young men who receive the human papillomavirus vaccine appear to be at reduced risk of contracting the virus and developing the genital warts associated with the common sexually transmitted disease, according to a large international study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Vaccinating men provides a benefit in that fewer men with HPV will also mean that fewer women are exposed to the cancer causing virus.

In an effort to prevent cervical cancer, which can be caused by HPV, public health officials have been encouraging young women to get vaccinated since the Food and Drug Administration approved the first HPV vaccine, Gardasil, in 2006. The vaccine has been approved for boys and men since 2009.

Gardasil is given in a series of three injections. In the study, which included more than 4,000 sexually active males between the ages of 16 and 26, roughly 0.5 percent of the boys and men who received all three shots developed genital warts during the subsequent 2 to 3 years. By contrast, about 2.8 percent of the study participants who received a placebo vaccine developed warts.

Earlier this week, for the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics included the HPV vaccine on its list of recommended vaccines for boys.  Most health insurance plans cover HPV vaccination for both males and females.

Bottom Line:  HPV is a common STD.  Vaccines are now available to prevent the development of the lesions in men and reduce the risk of cervical cancer in men.  If you are a young man or have young sexually active boys, contact your doctor or pediatrician for more information.

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