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Proportion of genital warts episodes higher among males
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The incidence of genital warts peaked at a younger age among a cohort of females compared with males. However, males accounted for a higher overall proportion of episodes of genital warts, according to Amy Leval, RN, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
“The burden of genital warts in Sweden is high,” Leval told Infectious Disease News. “This study indicates that genital warts are the second most common STI in Sweden after chlamydial infections. This study provides a reasonable estimation of the incidence of genital warts in the Swedish population by use of register data, with results comparable to those from previous smaller studies.”
Amy Leval
Leval and colleagues calculated incidence proportions of genital warts using data from the Prescribed Drug Register and the National Patient Register. The calculations included the entire population aged 10 to 44 years in Sweden from 2006 to 2010.
The incidence proportion of genital warts among females was highest at age 20. Among males, the incidence proportion among males was highest at age 24. From 2006 to 2007, the incidence of genital warts was higher among males. From 2008 to 2010, the incidence of genital warts increased among males, but declined among females.
Among females aged 17 to 18 years, the incidence of genital warts decreased by more than 25% from 2006 to 2010, after the HPV vaccine became available. Leval said these declines were not observed among females aged older than 25 years or younger than 16 years, or among males.
“Sweden had an HPV vaccination coverage of roughly 25% to 30% for girls aged 13 to 17 years during the period this study was conducted,” Leval said. “With this level of vaccination coverage and the relatively short study follow-up, there did not appear to be any herd immunity, yet, among males.”
In follow-up studies, Leval said they examined the effectiveness of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil, Merck) among 2.2 million Swedish girls and women using individual-level data. They are also examining dose-level effectiveness of the vaccine on genital warts among females first vaccinated before age 20 years.
Disclosure: Leval reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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