A Mere One In Every Ten Men Are Aware Of HPV
Only One In Every 10 Men Are Aware Of HPV
A new Danish survey with around 24,000 Danish men, illustrates that only one in every ten men aged 18 to 45 years, are aware of HPV – the virus which for men can cause penile and anal cancer and cervical cancer for women. Evidence suggests, that men walks around supposing that the HPV virus has nothing to do with them. But men actually do have a great responsibility.
-They have, because HPV is a virus, mostly spread sexually. It is consequently incredibly important that men are aware, that they are carriers in relation to women and cervical cancer and that they can acquire for example, penile cancer, anal cancer and certain forms of cancer of the head and neck region, “says researcher Ann Nielsen from the Danish Cancer Fighting, who is the foremost author of the study.
The study shows that not many men have knowledge of about HPV, and this is regardless of whether they are 18 or 45 years.
-For women, studies illustrate that older women have greater knowledge of HPV rather than younger women. Yet this does not apply to men, says Ann Nielsen.
Even though there has been an increasing alertness of HPV and vaccines, Ann Nielsen does not feel that it has reached the men yet.
-When we asked the men, there were an initial awareness of HPV. The first vaccine against cervical cancer was – at the time – just come on the Danish market, explains Ann Nielsen.
HPV is mainly sexually transmitted. Today all girls born in Denmark in 1996 or later are offered a at no cost HPV vaccination as part of the general vaccination program. Moreover, all girls born in 1993, 1994 and 1995 received the offer of free vaccination. So far Danish boys will not be offered free vaccination.
Ann Nielsen points out that there really is a big need for information efforts towards men. – Not simply in relation to sexual life. We also have to do with a target audience – fathers with children who are offered vaccination. It is really essential that their understanding is good, when they should consider whether their daughter should be vaccinated, says Ann Nielsen.
Need for knowledge American studies have also shown, that an increased focus on HPV means an increased knowledge. In the U.S., the number of anal cancer and head and neck cancer incidents has grown.
-We estimate that the same applies in Denmark. And we must not lose sight of the genital warts – something that many men and women suffer from. We estimate that around 10 percent of all men, at some time in their lives, become infected with genital warts.
Therefore, it is purely essential to have knowledge and awareness out to the audience, says Ann Nielsen.
The study is published in European Journal of Cancer Prevention.