Still perplexed by my mother’s comment, I wanted to assess whether or not there was any merit to her statement.
It seemed strange, if boys do not need the vaccine, why on Earth would doctors now recommend it? And why would my mom reject it? My mother was typically responsive to scientific literature and doctor’s recommendations.
So I looked into the physiological concerns regarding an HPV infection. There were quite a few, so I decided to break them down into different blogs.
As the name of the blog reveals, this week’s focus is on genitals, specifically genital warts and infections.
HPV strains 6 and 11 are most commonly responsible for gential warts, the most common physiological consequence of an HPV infection in men. Warts can be found on the penis, scrotum, anus and perineal areas-- all unpleasant locations (1). While these lesions are benign, they bear other problems. Psychologically, the presence of warts has been associated with feelings of anger, depression, shame and worry, to name a few (2). Physiologically, they can lead to pain, bleeding and itching. Some (around 20%) will disappear, but they often return.
Treatment, especially for recurrent cases, can be expensive. There are costs associated with visits to screen for HPV, diagnose the warts, and of course, the treatment itself. It has been estimated that in the United States, up to $200 million is spent on treating genital warts (3).
Warts were what betrayed my brother’s HPV infection. He was mortified. The warts on his genitals and oral tract destroyed his self-confidence. He wouldn’t date anyone for months after the warts were cleared, in fear they would return.
References:
1. Wiley, Douglas, Beutner, Cox, Fife, Moscicki, & Fukumoto. (2002). External Genital Warts: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 35(2), s210-s224. https://doi.org/10.1086/342109
2.Jeynes, C., Chung, M. C., & Challenor, R. (2009). ‘Shame on you’ – the psychosocial impact of genital warts. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 20(8), 557-560. https://doi.org/10.1258/ijsa.2008.008412
3.Anic, G. M., & Giuliano, A. R. (2011). Genital HPV infection and related lesions in men. Preventive Medicine, 53, S36-S41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.08.002