Friday, December 14, 2007

HPV also Affect Males

HPV ALSO AFFECT MEN
A couple months back in class we talked about the papilloma virus and as the main cause of cervical cancer in women. We also encountered the moral problems related with the vaccine against HPV, should the vaccine be applied to little girls 10 years old? Would this make girls become sexually active younger? and then class finished. Even though these moral and ethic issues are important, we did not talk about how HPV affects men. I did not know HPV could cause symptoms in men, as the whole controversy of the vaccine for women and what age should they be vaccinated overshadows the problem - HPV can also cause negative infections in males. As HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, it also affects men. The virus creates genital warts that growth on top of the penis. Warts are raised, flat, or cauliflower-shaped. They usually do not hurt. Also, warts may appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person. Consequently, HPV can also cause anal cancer a penile cancer.
Signs of anal cancer:
· Sometimes there are no signs or symptoms.
· Anal bleeding, pain, itching, or discharge.
· Swollen lymph nodes in the anal or groin area.
· Changes in bowel habits or the shape of your stool.
Signs of penile cancer:
· First signs: changes in color, skin thickening, or a build-up of tissue on the penis.
· Later signs: a growth or sore on the penis. It is usually painless, but in some cases, the sore may be painful and bleed.
· There may be no symptoms until the cancer is quite advanced.
Thus, HPV does have consequences to men. They do not seem as severe as those in women, but there is no vaccine for anal or penile cancer in men. Also, there is not an exam to determine warts or any cancer in men.
As we can see here, HPV is severe in men too. However, it is more severe and understood in women a so more effort to create a vaccine and control against the virus. Then, this raises the question if women have to be vaccinated at an early age. I think they should get vaccinated against HPV and that does not mean that girls would have premature sex. If they get vaccinated it would mean a way to protect themselves and people around them. It is a precaution method; moral issues have to be discussed by parents and schools which would have to educate their daughters/students into have save sexual relationships. Thus, parents should have to teach their daughters about the vaccine and teach them that being immune against a virus does not mean to be able/ready to have safe sexual relationships.

Reference
http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-and-men.htm
CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal; 8/08/2000, Vol. 163 Issue 3, p324, 1/3p
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/penile/
Clinical Infectious Diseases; 9/1/2005, Vol. 41 Issue 5, p612-620, 9p
Journal of American College Health; Mar/Apr2005, Vol. 53 Issue 5, p225-230, 6p, 5 charts

1 comment:

Dominic said...

Most of the time bith partners shuold be treated...re-infection happens!