Is The HPV Vaccine For Boys & Men Too?

Yes Of Course!

This vaccine is also recommended for boys and men. In fact it is a mandatory childhood vaccine for boys and girls in countries like Australia. Many people have the false impression that HPV vaccination is only for cervical cancer prevention and hence men don’t require it.

HPV causes other cancers that affect men too. This includes oral cancer, penile cancer and anal cancer. The rate of HPV causing oral cancers in men are closely approaching, and in some nations like the United States, outnumbering cases of cervical cancers in women.

Studies show that men are more likely to get oral cancers from HPV compared to women. Women who give oral sex or fellatio have lower rates of HPV infections compared to men who give oral sex or cunnilingus.

WHY IS RATE OF ORAL CANCER FROM HPV HIGHER IN MEN THAN IN WOMEN?

Men are somehow , for reasons still poorly understood, unable to clear HPV from their mouth, tonsils and base of tongue, as quickly as women can.

WHY SHOULD MEN WORRY ABOUT HPV?

Because unlike for women, there is no well established screening test yet developed to look for HPV in any other part of the body except for the cervix.

The cervix can be easily sampled but the tonsils and the base of the tongue, they have all sorts of nooks and crannies making it difficult to develop a reliable technique for obtaining a good sample of cells.

Women have the luxury of Pap Smear and HPV tests for early detection. Unfortunately for men this reliable early detection kit does not exist. So by the time oral cancer, penile cancer or anal cancers are picked up it often is in the later stages of the disease.

SO WHAT ARE THE SINISTER SIGNS OF A HPV RELATED ORAL CANCER?

When a HPV related oral cancer does develop, men often notice a pain in their jaw or their throat.  They might have a change in their voice that lasts a few weeks. They might have difficulty swallowing or a sore spot on their tongue or a lump in the neck.

So why be complacent? There are amazing well studied vaccines to prevent HPV infections of which include Gardasil 9.  Gardasil 9 offers a coverage for 7 high risk HPV that cause cancers and 2 low risk HPVs that cause warts.

Ask your doctor about getting yourself the protection you desire. Start your fight with HPV with a vaccine, Gardasil 9. Our doctors at InSync Medical Clinic are happy to discuss HPV vaccination with you in detail.

Our Female Doctors are ready to listen to your issues. Visit us at InSync Medical Located along East Coast Road in the heart of Katong, Singapore.

We’re here to answer even the most sensitive and intimate questions. Take the first step, and we’ll take care of the rest.