HPV
and Men What
are the signs and symptoms of HPV in men?
Most
men who get genital HPV do not have any symptoms. However, some types of HPV can
cause genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths that appear
in the genital area. They may be raised, flat, or cauliflower shaped. In
men, genital warts may appear around the anus or on the penis, scrotum (testicles),
groin or thighs. Even men who have never had anal sex can get warts around the
anus. Warts may appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected
person, or not at all. A person can have the type of HPV that causes genital warts,
but never develop any warts. How
do men get Genital HPV?
Genital
HPV is passed on through genital contact –such as vaginal and anal sex.
Both
men and women can get HPV – and pass it on - without even realizing it.
Genital
warts can also be passed on by a person who has HPV but no visible warts. Since
the virus can be “silent” for a long time, people can have genital HPV
even if years have passed since they have had sex.
What
is the connection between HPV and penile and anal cancers?
Certain
types of HPV have been linked to cancer of the anus and penis in men. These cancers
are rare –especially in men with healthy immune systems. The types of HPV
that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause penile
or anal cancer. How
common is HPV and associated conditions in men?
Over
half of sexually active men in the United States (U.S.) will have HPV at some
time in their lives.
-
About 1% of sexually active men in the U.S. have genital warts at any one time.
- The
American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that about 1,530 men will be diagnosed
with penile cancer in the U.S. in 2006. In this country, penile cancer accounts
for about 0.2% of all cancers in men. It is especially rare in circumcised men.
- ACS estimates
that about 1,910 men will be diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. The risk for
anal cancer is 17 times higher among gay and bisexual men than among heterosexual
men. The risk is also higher among men with compromised immune systems, including
those with HIV.
Is
there a test for HPV in men?
At the moment, there is no test approved
to detect HPV in men. However, there are ways to detect the most common problem
caused by HPV in men, genital warts. Genital warts are usually diagnosed by visual
inspection. Some health care providers may use a vinegar solution to help identify
flat warts, although this test is not specific for warts. That means the test
may falsely identify normal skin as a wart. Is
there a test to screen for HPV-related cancers in men? There
are currently no tests approved to detect early evidence of HPV-associated cancers
in men, as there are for women (Pap tests). Nonetheless, since anal cancer is
more common in gay, bisexual, and HIV-positive men, some experts recommend routine
anal Pap tests for those populations. The anal Pap test is used to find abnormal
cells in the anus (caused by HPV) that could turn into cancer over time. However,
it is not yet clear that finding and removing abnormal cells from the anus will
effectively prevent anal cancer from developing in the future. CDC does not recommend
anal cancer screening. Is
there a treatment or cure for HPV?
There is no treatment or cure for
HPV. But there are ways to treat the health conditions associated with HPV in
men, including genital warts, penile cancer and anal cancer. Visible
genital warts can be treated with medication, surgically removed, or frozen off.
Some of these treatments can be applied by the patient, while others must be performed
by a health care provider. No one treatment is best. Warts might return, especially
in the first 3 months after treatment. It
is not known whether treatment of genital warts will reduce the chance of passing
the virus on to a sex partner. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, remain
unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer. For
these reasons, some individuals may choose not to get treated, but to see if the
warts will disappear on their own. Should
I be worried that I cannot be tested or treated for HPV?
No. HPV is
not like other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which need to be detected
and treated. HPV is a virus that lives in the skin, rather than in your body.
There is no clear health benefit to knowing you have this virus—since HPV
is unlikely to affect your health and cannot be treated. For most men, there would
be no need to treat HPV, even if treatment were available— since it usually
goes away on its own. So
why should I care about HPV? While
most men will not develop health problems from HPV, some men are at higher risk
of disease from HPV. HIV-positive men are more likely to get severe and prolonged
cases of genital warts, which may be more resistant to treatment. They are also
more likely to develop anal cancer. It
is also important for men to realize that they can unknowingly transmit HPV to
their female sex partners. Compared to heterosexual men, women are at higher risk
of developing disease from HPV—most notably, cervical cancer. Cervical cancer
in women is much more common than anal or penile cancer in men. According to ACS,
more than 9,700 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. in 2006. Are
there ways to reduce my chances of getting HPV? Because
HPV is so common but usually invisible, the only sure ways to prevent it are not
to have sex, or to have sex with only one uninfected person, who is only having
sex with you. You can lower your risk by limiting your number of sex partners
and choosing partners who have had few or no sex partners. Condoms may also lower
your risk of HPV-associated conditions. Condoms may provide some but not complete
protection against HPV, since HPV can infect skin that is not covered by a condom.
Condoms have been shown to reduce the risk of genital warts and cervical cancer.
Condoms can also reduce the risk of HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections,
when used all the time and the right way.
I
hear there's a HPV test for women, but not for men. Why not?
There
is now an HPV test for women, which can be used as part of cervical cancer screening
and management. This test is not a general check for HPV, and it is not designed
to find HPV in men. There
is no general test for HPV that can tell a man or woman his or her “HPV status”.
There is no clear health benefit to knowing if one has the virus—since it
usually causes no health problems and goes away on its own. My
partner just found out she has HPV... - What
does it mean for me?
Partners
usually share HPV. If you have been partners for a long time, it is likely that
you already have HPV. The types of HPV that put a woman at risk for cervical cancer
very rarely cause any health problems for heterosexual men.
- What
does that mean for her?
This probably means she has a type of HPV on her cervix that could put
her at risk for cervical cancer. She should follow up with her doctor or nurse
as advised, so that she does not develop cervical cancer in the future. Also,
she should know that most of the time, HPV goes away on its own without causing
any health problems.
- What
does it mean for us?
HPV
is not a sign that you or your partner has been unfaithful in the relationship.
HPV can be silent in the body for many years before it is found on a test. She
may have had HPV for many years, and there is no way to know when or from whom
she got HPV.
HPV
and Men - CDC Fact Sheet
http://www.cdc.gov/ |
SUSCRIBASE 
