J community health: young men also need to be vaccinated against HPV

February 13, 2020 / Biovalley BIOON / -- it is said that due to the lack of relevant medical information, the "sexual minority" young male groups, including homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual groups who have had sexual relations with men, do not fully understand their risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection In a recent study published in the Journal of community health, researchers from Rutgers University investigated the knowledge of young men with sexual minorities about HPV and HPV vaccines According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, about 79 million people in the United States are currently infected with HPV, and about 14 million new infections occur every year As a sexually transmitted infection, HPV can cause many types of cancer, including anal cancer and penile cancer Because of the high prevalence of HIV and smoking, and the low rate of HPV vaccination in men, the sexual minority of men is particularly vulnerable to infection Caleb Lo Schiavo, PhD student at Rutgers University School of public health, the author of the article, said: "although male sexual minorities have been protecting against HIV for decades, there is still a lack of protection measures against HPV infection." In this study, the researchers interviewed and analyzed the sexual minority men in their 20s in New York City, and found that their understanding of HPV infection was still insufficient, including the spread, signs and symptoms of HPV Cancer risk and vaccination measures They also found that because the public's perception of HPV remained that "only women are at risk of infection and disease", the male population did not consider HPV vaccination for the first time It is reported that the US Food and drug administration has extended the use of HPV vaccine to people aged 27-45 Initially, it was aimed at people between the ages of 9 and 26 "Clinicians have a direct role to play in expanding health services that support LGBTQ," said Jessica jaiswal, lead author and assistant professor at the University of Alabama "By understanding the multiple health needs of men from sexual minorities and providing regular HPV vaccination services, we can move towards a health promotion model." Sources of information: young men unaware of risks of HPV infection and need for HPV safety original sources: Jessica jaiswal et al, deviation, generated perceptions, and low healthcare provider communication around HPV and the HPV vaccine among young sexual minority men in New York City: the P18 cohort study, Journal of community health (2020) DOI: 10.1007/s10900-019-00784-w