HPV in men rarely causes serious he alth problems. However, if a man's immune system is not strong enough to fight the virus, complications can arise that are difficult to treat and dangerous to he alth and even life. The HPV virus in men can cause cancer of the penis and anus. Find out what he alth problems HPV causes in men.

HPV(human papillomavirus) does not cause he alth problems in mostmen . According to studies, only about 1% of sexually active men can cause difficult-to-heal genitourinary warts, bowenoid lumps and Bowen's disease. Even less often, it contributes to the formation of penile and rectal cancer. The probability of these diseases increases in men:

  • homosexual and bisexual (it is 17 times greater than in heterosexual men),
  • with a temporarily weakened immune system,
  • who are HIV positive.

How does HPV infection occur in men?

Human papillomavirus is transmitted through contact with the epidermis, resulting in the formation of the so-called warts and warts, or through sexual contact. There are about 100 types of HPV viruses, but only some types of the virus are the most dangerous for both men and women.

  • low-risk types: these are HPV types 1 and 2 that only causewartsor warts on the feet. In turn, HPV types 6 and 11 are types of sexually transmitted viruses that causegenital warts . These are flat or convex nipples that lie outside the genitals and around the anus;
  • high-risk types (oncogenic, i.e. associated with the development of cancer): HPV 16 and 18 viruses are highly carcinogenic, but in men they rarely cause penile or rectal cancer.

Symptoms of HPV infection in men

Most infections caused by HPV are not clinically significant, because very often papillomavirus infection resolves spontaneously due to the action of the immune system. Then HPV infection is asymptomatic - it is the so-called latency phase. However, it takes about 2 minutes for the virus to be eliminated from the body on its ownyears. During this timethe infected person may unknowingly infect the sexual partner.

In the case of men whose immune system is weakened, chronic HPV infection may develop and then the disease proceeds in a clinical form. In clinical case, the symptoms of infection are:

  • genitourinary warts - condylomas, i.e. genital warts in men, can appear on the penis (most often on the glans under the foreskin and in the middle of the penis), on the scrotum, in the groin and around the anus, and even inside the urethra. The warts can be convex, flat, or in the shape of cauliflower-shaped nodules. Usually, condylomas appear weeks or months after intercourse with an infected person. They will not turn into cancer and pose no he alth risk.

Pre-cancerous states

  • bowenoid lumpiness - pink or slightly brown tinted lumpy, multifocal lesions located on the glans;
  • Bowen's disease - is a form of pre-invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. It manifests as bluish-red papules with a smooth, shiny surface that are located on the glans penis.

In the case of long-term infection, which lasts several months or even years, the papillomavirus can lead to life-threatening diseases:

  • anal cancer - symptoms include bleeding, pain, itching or discharge from the anus. Lymphadenopathy in the anus or groin area. It happens that the disease is asymptomatic;
  • penile cancer - a change in the color, thickness of the skin, thickening of the penis, growths or wounds of the penis with pain and bleeding. Initially, the course of the disease may be asymptomatic until the tumor is significantly advanced;

HPV in men - diagnosis

Genital warts are the only visible symptom of infection with a low-risk HPV type and can be diagnosed at a doctor's office visit. Some doctors use a vinegar solution (5% acetic acid) to help identify warts that are not visible.

HPV test in men

A latent infection can only be detected by performing an HPV DNA test.For mentheHPV testwith genotyping option is recommended. It enables the detection of high-risk (highly oncogenic) and low-risk (low-oncogenic) types. The test kit consists of, among others with the sampling brush, screw cap tube containing the buffer, and the sampling protocol for testing. The swab is taken with a brush throughrubbing the gastric groove (around the penis) several times along the entire length. It is recommended that the male does not wash his genitals for 12 hours prior to collecting the test specimen.

The test kit can be purchased in some doctor's offices and in the online store on the test-hpv.pl portal. The price of the test ranges from PLN 149 (HPV 2 test with genotyping 6 and 11) to PLN 349 (the test detects mRNA transcripts of 5 highly oncogenic HPV genotypes: 16, 18, 31, 33 and 45).

HVP virus in men - treatment

There is currently no treatment or medication to get rid of the papillomavirus. However, there are known methods of treating diseases caused by HPV.

  • genitourinary warts - if left untreated, warts may disappear on their own, not change, or grow. In the last two cases, pharmacological treatment, surgical procedures aimed at removing lesions or cryosurgery (freezing) are used. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the treatment several times as warts often reappear within a few months after the end of treatment.

Important! Treatment of genitourinary warts in men does not reduce the risk of infection with the virus of the sexual partner!

  • bowenoid lumps - removal of lesions during surgery or using cryotherapy, CO2 laser, electrocoagulation.
  • Bowen's disease - surgical removal of lesions, cryo and laser therapy, 5% 5-fluorouracil ointment.
  • cancer of the penis and anus - depending on which form of treatment is most appropriate for the patient, surgical treatment as well as radio- and chemotherapy are used. Several treatments are often used simultaneously.

HPV vaccine for men and other preventive methods

Currently, only a vaccine is available to protect women against cervical cancer and condylomas. It is registered for girls and women aged 9-26. Research is currently underway to see if it will protect men against warts of the male genitourinary organs and cancer of the penis and anus. If the results are positive, men will probably be able to benefit from the vaccine within a few years. However, until then, other preventive methods should be used.

To prevent infection with HPV that causes warts:

  • wearing protective footwear in places where it is easy to get infected (locker rooms, swimming pools, showers);
  • avoiding direct contact with people with visible nipples (e.g. handshake);
  • avoiding touching objects contributing to the temporary survival of the virus (e.g. leather handles in public transport).

Prevention of sexual HPV infections

  • sexual abstinence,
  • Properly used condom during each intercourse (NOTE! A condom does not protect against HPV infection in 100% … it only reduces the risk of infection by about 75%)

Category:

Male diseases