Whilst HPV is generally infamous for causing cervical cancer, the same strains are culpable for causing 89% of all anal cancers, 72% of all oropharyngeal cancers and 63% of all penile cancers in men. As the most common STI globally, it affects everyone! Yet, many countries have only recently introduced schemes for men to get vaccinated and the uptake is therefore still low. Whilst the target to protect 86 million girls against cervical cancer elimination is hit, only 1/3 as many men are getting the HPV vaccine.
So why aren’t men getting vaccinated?
🤔 Some reported they didn’t realise one could get HPV without a cervix
⚠️ Others were not aware it was associated with anal cancer
💉 A few feared the side effects it may cause
How do we get more men vaccinated?
📢 National schemes should encourage pan-gender vaccination since government ads mentioning only cervical cancer can contribute to a lack of awareness
🩺 Health care practitioners can have 1-2-1 chats; one study revealed that a 30 minute talk with the school nurse significantly increased uptake, swaying both parents and children!
What can you do as a healthcare professional?
📋 Check your country’s guidelines for vaccination for men
📚 Ensure to educate men on their ability to get the vaccine and the benefits it provides!
✅ Ensure to emphasise that the vaccine is safe for men too!
Learn more about cervical cancer elimination in our In the Hot Seat interview with Prof Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Oncologist and WHOCC collaborator 🔗https://youtu.be/zU1i46raCXY
👤https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharoula-sidiropoulou-2964a013/
Listen to one of the WHOCC Fellows, Dr Samia Al-Khaldi, a family physician from Oman. As part of her Public Health Fellowship Programme, she undertook research on HPV prevention programmes with a focus on implementing vaccine education campaigns in national school programmes 🔗https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxYwM_0S_dw
👤https://www.linkedin.com/in/samiya-al-khaldi%E2%80%AC%E2%80%8F-0b16a02a3/
For further information on our clinical medicine and other bespoke fellowship programmes and to see the fellowship handbook visit our website
🔗 https://www.imperialwhocc.org/visiting-programmes/postgrad/
HPV in men resources:
Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Hospital 🔗https://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/your-visit/patient-leaflets/womens-services/human-papillomavirus-hpv-in-men
University of Hong Kong School of Clinical Medicine 🔗https://support-plus.med.hku.hk/q-and-a.php?id=9bf4ee8a-8578-45ce-96f9-55cb641fa695
Cancer Council Australia 🔗https://www.cancer.org.au/cervicalscreening/understanding-cervical-cancer-hpv/does-hpv-affect-men
Post by: Rama Aowidah, Imperial Medical student and WHOCC Health Comms Intern
👤 https://www.linkedin.com/in/rama-aowidah-0ab050248/
