Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common infection that can be easily passed on through skin-to-skin contact, including during sex.
Four types of human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause genital infections. They cause most cases of cervical cancer in women as well as genital warts and other cancers, including oral and anal cancer, in both men and women.
Since 2008, the HPV vaccination programme has immunised girls aged 12-13, but we also think that in the interest of public health and fairness, boys should be vaccinated as well.
Genital warts and cervical cancer
We welcomed the Government’s decision in 2008 to implement a vaccination programme for HPV in order to reduce cervical cancer rates. In 2010 there were nearly 3,000 diagnoses of cervical cancer leading to around 1,000 deaths in the UK.
While genital warts are clearly not as dangerous as cervical cancer, they can still have a physical and emotional impact on the person affected. The HPA reported over 116,000 cases of warts in 2010, making it the UK’s second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) and it is estimated that the Government spends at least £22m a year on treatment.
Which vaccine?
We support the Government’s decision to vaccinate against the four types of HPV from 2012. There are over 100 different strains of HPV. Two types are known to be responsible for seven in 10 cases of cervical cancer, as well as other cancers, while two other types are linked to at least nine in 10 cases of genital warts.
In 2008 the Government decided to use the Cervarix vaccine, which protects against the cancer types only, rather than the quadrivalent Gardasil vaccine, which protects against the four types. The Government’s reason for choosing Cervarix was the immediate cost saving. We think the recent decision to use Gardasil from 2012 will save the NHS more money in the long term, as well as reducing the considerable distress caused by genital warts.
Who else should be vaccinated?
We believe boys should be included in the HPV vaccination programme. There is increasing evidence of HPV-related head and neck cancer, anal cancer and penile cancer in men, as well as warts.
While rates of HPV infection in heterosexual males are likely to be cut indirectly over time because of the vaccination of girls, rates among gay men are likely to continue to increase. This will make the sexual health inequalities faced by gay men in the UK even worse. This is further reason why boys should be vaccinated. The earliest that the current vaccination programme could be changed to include boys is 2015, so we are campaigning now for young men who have sex with men (MSM) to be offered the vaccine when they first visit a sexual health clinic.
There may also be a case for vaccinating people who are living with HIV. Warts can be much more complicated and expensive to treat in people with HIV and have a more serious impact. People with HIV are also at greater risk of cervical and anal cancers.