Can men also be infected with HPV? Scientific knowledge protects health

Can men also be infected with HPV? Scientific knowledge protects health

Author: Yuan Yifeng, deputy chief physician of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine

Reviewer: Peng Jing, Chief Physician, Peking University First Hospital

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can not only cause cervical cancer in women, but also affect men's health. So, what are the consequences of men being infected with HPV, and how can we prevent it?

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

1. Human papillomavirus and its transmission

HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus that generally lives in epithelial and mucosal tissues. Both men and women can be infected, and HPV-infected people are the main source of infection. Because HPV exists in the genital skin or mucosa of HPV-infected people, HPV can be transmitted to sexual partners as long as sexual organ contact occurs.

In addition, HPV has other ways of transmission.

One is vertical transmission from mother to child. If the mother is infected with HPV, HPV will be present in her reproductive tract, and during delivery, the newborn may be infected through the reproductive tract.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

The second is transmission through skin-to-mucosal contact. HPV is suitable for survival in mucosal tissues. There are abundant mucosal tissues in the mouth, throat, and anus, and contact with HPV in these areas can also cause infection [1].

2. What are the effects of human papillomavirus on men?

HPV includes many types, and different types have different degrees of harm to the human body. In fact, most HPV infections are asymptomatic or subclinical. But some types are more harmful and can easily cause cancer, such as cervical cancer, which is medically called high-risk HPV. Therefore, some men are worried that they will develop penile cancer after being infected with HPV.

In fact, there is no need to worry about this. HPV infection in men does not necessarily lead to cancers such as penile cancer, but it should not be taken lightly, because it will also have a certain impact on men's health.

First of all, for men, phimosis and prepuce are recognized risk factors for penile cancer. If a man has phimosis or prepuce, does not pay attention to the hygiene of the external genitalia, and has long-term high-risk HPV infection, the risk of penile cancer will increase.

Secondly, male sperm can also be infected with HPV. After sperm is infected with HPV, sperm motility may decrease, which may lead to male infertility. Therefore, HPV infection still has a great impact on male reproductive health.

Finally, men can transmit HPV to their sexual partners through sexual intercourse, increasing the risk of HPV infection in women; similarly, women can also transmit HPV to their sexual partners through sexual intercourse. If a woman is infected with HPV, her sexual partner may be infected, so men also need to be checked to avoid repeated infection.

How to prevent men from getting infected with human papillomavirus

The main ways for men to prevent HPV are:

Get the HPV vaccine.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Second, adopt the "surgical vaccine" of HPV, that is, circumcision. Most men have phimosis or foreskin, which is an important risk factor for HPV infection in women. Circumcision can make men's external genitalia more hygienic, thereby reducing the risk of a variety of sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV infection, and even accelerate the elimination of HPV in the body.

References

[1] Bai Miaomiao. Study on the current status of human papillomavirus cognition and vaccination willingness among male college students based on the health belief model[D]. Baoding: Hebei University, 2021.