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Oral HPV infections in men less common than genital infections
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Newly acquired oral HPV infections in healthy men are rare compared with genital infection, and they typically clear within 12 months, according to findings in a recently published study.
Christine M. Pierce Campbell, PhD, from the Moffitt Cancer Center, and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute in Tampa, Fla., evaluated the HPV infection status in oral gargle samples collected from 1,626 men aged 18 to 73 years in Brazil, Mexico and the United States as part of the HPV Infection in Men (HIM) study.
Christine M. Pierce Campbell
During a 1-year study period, 4.4% of participants acquired any type of oral HPV infection, 1.7% were infected with a cancer-causing HPV type, and 0.6% with HPV16.
These observed rates are considerably lower than cervical and other anogenital tract HPV infections among healthy individuals, the researchers said. The estimated median time to clearance of infection was 6 to 7 months and HPV infection appeared more common among smokers and unmarried men.
“Though oropharyngeal cancer is rare, rates have been increasing rapidly, especially among men. Improving our understanding of the risks associated with oral HPV infection and persistence will inform prevention efforts for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers,” Pierce Campbell told Infectious Disease News.
Christine M. Pierce Campbell, PhD, can be reached at christine.piercecampbell@moffitt.org.
Disclosure: Pierce Campbell reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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