MD Research



WEB MD 

Much of the information about HPV virus (human papillomavirus) centres on women, since having the virus increases their risk of getting cervical cancer. But HPV virus in men can cause health problems, too. It's important for men to understand how to reduce the risks of HPV infection.

HPV infection can increase a man's risk of getting genital cancers, although these cancers are not common. HPV can also cause genital warts in men, just as in women.

Genital Warts (Human Papillomavirus or HPV)

Warts are caused by viruses and can appear anywhere on the body. Those that show up in the genital area is caused by the human papillomavirus, commonly called HPV, and are easily transmitted by sexual contact. HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in North America and certain forms of the virus can cause cervical, rectal, and penile cancer. According to the CDC, at least 50% of sexually active men and women will get a genital HPV infection at some point in their lives...

More than half of men who are sexually active in the U.S. will have HPV at some time in their life. Often, a man cancer is about 17 times higher in sexually active gay and bisexual men than in men who have sex only with women. Men who have HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) are also at higher risk of getting this cancer.

Other types of HPV virus rarely cause cancer in men, but they do cause genital warts. At a given point in time, about 1% of sexually active men in the U.S. will have genital warts.

=== The Symptoms of HPV in Men === The types of high-risk HPV that can cause cancer rarely present any symptoms in men or in women. Genital warts are the first symptom you may see with low-risk HPV strains that cause warts but not cancer.

=== Tests for HPV Infection in Men === To diagnose genital warts in men, the doctor will visually check a man's genital area to see if warts are present. Some doctors will apply a vinegar solution to help identify warts that aren't raised and visible. But the test is not fool proof. Sometimes normal skin is mistakenly identified as a wart.

There is no routine test for men to check for high-risk HPV strains that can cause cancer. However, some doctors are urging anal Pap tests for gay and bisexual men, who are at higher risk of anal cancer caused by HPV. In an anal Pap test, the doctor collects cells from the anus, and then has them checked for abnormalities in a lab.

=== Risks of HPV Infection in Men === Some of the 30 or so types of HPV associated with genital cancers can lead to cancer of the anus or penis in men. Both of these cancer types are rare, especially in men with a healthy immune system. The American Cancer Society estimates about 1,250 men in the U.S. were diagnosed with cancer of the penis in 2008. About 2,020 men are estimated to have received a diagnosis of anal cancer last year as well.

=== Treatments for HPV Infection in Men === There is no treatment for HPV infection in men when no symptoms are present. Instead, doctors treat the health problems that are caused by the HPV virus.