Contents:
- Medical Video: Why you should get your HPV vaccine
- Transmission of HPV infection in gay and bisexual men causes genital warts
- Can condoms prevent HPV infection in men?
- The ideal time to get an HPV vaccine for men
- Even though they are vaccines, they must still use condoms
Medical Video: Why you should get your HPV vaccine
The HPV virus is better known to the public as a cause of cervical cancer. Therefore, vaccines to prevent HPV are more intensively socialized to women. Even though HPV can also attack men. HPV infection in men can cause penile cancer, oral cancer, and throat cancer. Especially for gay and bisexual men, HPV infection can cause genital warts or in medical language condyloma akuminata.
Because of the many health risks, men must also get HPV vaccination as early as possible.
Transmission of HPV infection in gay and bisexual men causes genital warts
HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.HPV infection is caused byHuman papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses consisting of 150 similar viruses. HPV 6 and HPV 11 are HPV viruses that cause genital warts.
HPV in men can be transmitted through sexual contact with people who have been infected with HPV. Transmission is very easy and most often occurs through anal, vaginal, or oral sex. In most cases, HPV infection in gay and bisexual men is most vulnerable through anal sex
According to research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gay and bisexual men who have anal sex are 18 times more likely to develop sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV. Because, penile penetration can tear the skin tissue inside the anus, allowing bacteria and viruses to enter the bloodstream. Not only that, the anus cannot produce natural lubricants such as the vagina so the possibility of injury or abrasions when anal penetration becomes higher.
It is this wound that can be the gateway to HPV infection, especially if you or your partner has been infected with HPV. Unlike the vagina, the anus does not have a natural cleansing system. As a result, prevention of viral infections becomes more difficult for the body.
Besides going through anal sex, a gay man is also at high risk of being infected with HPV through oral sex.
Can condoms prevent HPV infection in men?
Transmission of the HPV virus through sex can be minimized and prevented by using protective devices such as condoms. Condoms can indeed prevent HPV infection. However, this method cannot guarantee that you are 100% virus free.
Because, HPV may still infect areas that are not protected by condoms and transmission of genital warts can also occur through direct contact with infected skin. So not necessarily through genitals alone.
That is why, it is important for every man (regardless of his sexual orientation) to getHPV vaccination.Just like women, the HPV vaccine in men is given three times in the upper arm with a distance between vaccines which is six months.
The ideal time to get an HPV vaccine for men
The HPV vaccine is more effective if given at a young age, that is before being sexually active (before marriage). The Indonesian Association of Skin and Gynecologists (PERDOSKI) advises parents to give HPV vaccine to boys between the ages of 10 and 12.
But the CDC says that vaccine effectiveness will be highest when given at the age of nine and must be completed before the age of 13. If given in that age range, the vaccine only needs to be given twice. The distance starts from six to twelve months between vaccines.
As for those of you who are over 21 years of age and have never been vaccinated against HPV but have been sexually active, you do not need to be discouraged. You can still and must get an HPV vaccine. Because the vaccine does not only provide protection for one type of HPV virus. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine can provide protection against HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18.
Even though they are vaccines, they must still use condoms
But remember, this vaccine works to form the body's immunity so that its nature is to prevent infection, not cure.In addition, HPV vaccination is not a substitute for condom use. Even though you have received HPV vaccination, you are also advised to have safe sex using a condom. This is done so that you get layered protection from HPV and other sexual diseases when having sex.
