Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an infectious disease, and it is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, and it is estimated that nearly all sexually active young men contract it at some point in their lives. Some types of HPV can cause problems to one's health that may even lead to cancer. A person can get HPV from having anal, vaginal or oral sex with a person who has the disease. However, the most common way of getting the disease is through vaginal or anal sex. It can be passed from one person to another even if the infected person does not show any symptoms.
Most young men who are sexually active are at a risk of contracting this virus, and the symptoms can even manifest themselves after a long time of having sex with an infected person. There are several ways of preventing or treating this disease. One of them is getting vaccinated with HPV vaccines, which are usually safe and efficient. The vaccines help both men and women from contracting this disease, and they can be administered by giving three shots over a period of six months. Sexually active young men should also use latex condoms when having sex to reduce the chances of contracting this infection. Having one sex partner also lowers the risk of getting this disease.
Data that is collected for determining the causes of this infection includes a random sampling of patients who have been treated with the disease, and they are observed during subsequent visits to ascertain the progress of the management of the disease. This paper seeks to highlight the connection of HPV to various cancers in young men as well as the measures that can be taken to reduce the chances of contracting this disease.
HPV is considered as one of the leading causes of cancer among young adults, especially men who are 15 to 25 years old. Current statistics show that about 90% to 93% of anal cancers in men are potentially associated with HPV, 36% to 40% of penile cancers are also related to HPV. It is also reported that HPV infections are responsible for 492,800 cancer cases, of which 97,215 were cervical cancers, which also included up to 50,780 cancers among men (Chaturvedi 2010). 4753 cancer cases are reported annually in the United States alone.
I will use scholarly journals to gather information about the health statics on the topic as well as determining the research that has been conducted concerning this issue. The Journal of Clinical Oncology is a primary source of information about the studies that have been carried out relating to HPV and cancer among young men. The population-based cancer registries determined the HPV status of the patients by using genotyping and polymerase chain reaction (Engels et al. 2011). Logistical regression was also used to estimate the trends in HPV prevalence across four periods. The HPV prevalence that was observed was rewired to all cancers within the registries to account for the nonrandom selection as well as to calculate trends of the incidences. Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses were also used to compare the survival of the patients that were HPV negative and HPV positive.
The methods of data collection that were applied observed confidentiality and privacy aspects of the patients because no names and identification of the patients were presented from the registries. The Journal of American College Health is also an instrumental source of information on this topic. The authors studied the intentions to receive a vaccine for HPV among 340 college students. Questionnaires were developed, and the sample group of 202 women and 138 men were meant to complete the questionnaires whereby they were asked the likelihood of accepting a vaccine for HPV and some other forms of cancer.
The population that was sampled reported high intent to receive the vaccine. However, women registered a significantly higher rate of willingness to receive the vaccine than men. 88.6% of women developed a desire to receive the vaccine as compared to 77.5% of men. Participants who had many sexual partners registered the number of intent to receive the vaccine. More women were also willing to receive the vaccine for cervical cancer alone. The interest towards the vaccine varied based on the knowledge about the disease and according to sexual history (Jones & Cook 2008).
Some of the key health indicators that were considered in the studies included prevalence and incidence rates of the infection. These indicators were used to determine the health status of the patients who exhibited this infection. It was estimated that most cases of HPV are a probable cause of many cancer cases. However, due to awareness and screening most cancer cases have been reduced by early interventions and treatment and also the use of vaccines. The table below represents the statistics of the rate of HPV infection and the percentages of the types of cancer in men.
The information sources were critical in determining the prevalence and occurrence of HPV and cancer among young adults, especially men between the ages of 15 to 25. The incidences of cancer among men are rising due to HPV, and early detection and intervention are essential in the management of the condition besides receiving the vaccination. The most important aspect that I have learnt from the study is that observing preventive measures like having one sexual partner and using latex condoms can significantly reduce the chances of getting HPV. However, there was a challenge of determining the latest research about this topic and the current statistics about the development of HPV and cancer among men.
Reference
Chaturvedi, A. (2010). Beyond Cervical Cancer: Burden of Other HPV-Related Cancers among Men and Women. Journal of Adolescent Health 46(4), S20–S26.
Jones, M. & Cook, R. (2008). Intent to Receive an HPV Vaccine among University Men and Women and Implications for Vaccine Administration. Journal of American College Health 57(1), 23-32.
Engels, E. et al. (2011). Human Papillomavirus and Rising Oropharyngeal Cancer Incidence in the United States. Journal of Clinical Oncology 29(32), 4294-4301.
