Clinical Benefit of Vaccinating Male Against HPV-related Disease

Abstract

HHPV (Human Papillomavirus) is a DNA virus that can cause benign lesions, genitourinary cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer by penetrating the mucous membrane and skin. It is widely known to be transmitted mainly through sexual contact. As with many viral infections, vaccines have been developed to prevent infection with HPV. Currently, in many countries, HPV vaccines are mainly used for national immunization for women to prevent diseases that traditionally occur frequently in women, especially cervical cancer. However, since the vaccination rate is relatively low, many countries are struggling with ways to increase the vaccination rate. Meanwhile, the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer caused by HPV in men has been increasing recently. In the United States, the annual number of oropharyngeal cancers in men already exceeds the number of cervical cancers in women, so HPV infection in men has emerged as a major problem. Accordingly, interest in HPV vaccination in men has also increased, and studies on the effectiveness and necessity of vaccination of both women and men compared to women alone are being actively conducted. In this paper, the evidence of HPV vaccination for men will be reviewed through previous studies, and its validity and cost-effectiveness will be analyzed to bolster the clinical usefulness of HPV vaccination for men.