Nearly one in two men could have some form of the human papillomavirus, according to a new study published in JAMA Oncology.
For the study, researchers examined the results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted by the CDC from 2013 to 2014 and involved a total of 1,868 men aged 18 to 59 years. DNA testing revealed the overall prevalence of a genital HPV infection to be 45.2 percent. Also, 25 percent of the study's participants were found to have an HPV strain associated with a high risk of cancer. Among the portion of men eligible for vaccination, only 10 percent had been inoculated against the virus.
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"Our study indicates that male HPV vaccination may have a greater effect on HPV infection transmission and cancer prevention in men and women than previously estimated. Further studies may be warranted to evaluate the rationale regarding the current male vaccination age cutoff," concluded the study's authors.
The CDC currently recommends boys and girls ages 11 to 12 be given two shots of the HPV vaccine six to twelve months apart. Individuals fourteen years and over should be administered three shots over the course of six months. The vaccine is recommended for women through age 26 and for men through age 21.
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