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Men, if you have HPV, odds are you will be reinfected with the same type

Date:
December 14, 2017
Source:
Moffitt Cancer Center
Summary:
Men infected with HPV16, the type responsible for most HPV-related cancers, are 20 times more likely to be reinfected with the same type of HPV after one year, according to a new study. The article shows the same effect in both men who are sexually active and celibate, suggesting that they are not reacquiring the virus from another sexual partner.
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Men infected with HPV16, the type responsible for most HPV-related cancers, are 20 times more likely to be reinfected with the same type of HPV after one year. That is according to a new study published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The article shows the same effect in both men who are sexually active and celibate, suggesting that they are not reacquiring the virus from another sexual partner.

"The data show why HPV vaccination is so important. Vaccinating boys before they are sexually active or exposed to HPV could prevent initial infection," said Giuliano. "It may also be beneficial to vaccinate older men who have already had the virus to reduce their risk of reinfection."

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is estimated that 79 million Americans are currently infected by HPV, and most don't know they have it. There are often no symptoms and the virus goes away on its own without causing health issues. Vaccination can protect against as many as nine of the most common types of HPV, but there are more than 200 genetically distinct HPV types.

The new study took a closer look at the many types of HPV and why they coexist. The research team, including Anna R. Giuliano, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Infection Research in Cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center, analyzed data from the human papillomavirus in men (HIM) study, which tracked more than 4,000 unvaccinated men in Florida, Mexico and Brazil over a five-year period.

The new analysis of the HIM study data suggested the diversity of HPV types may stem from recurring infections of particular types within individuals. While only a small number of people are infected with any one type, the high overall HPV prevalence occurs because nearly half the adult population carries at least one type of HPV. The risk of reinfection is high, possibly due to auto-inoculation, spreading the infection by repeated contact between different sites on the body, or reactivation of a latent virus, or both.


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Materials provided by Moffitt Cancer Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Sylvia L. Ranjeva, Edward B. Baskerville, Vanja Dukic, Luisa L. Villa, Eduardo Lazcano-Ponce, Anna R. Giuliano, Greg Dwyer, Sarah Cobey. Recurring infection with ecologically distinct HPV types can explain high prevalence and diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201714712 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714712114

Cite This Page:

Moffitt Cancer Center. "Men, if you have HPV, odds are you will be reinfected with the same type." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 December 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171214141919.htm>.
Moffitt Cancer Center. (2017, December 14). Men, if you have HPV, odds are you will be reinfected with the same type. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171214141919.htm
Moffitt Cancer Center. "Men, if you have HPV, odds are you will be reinfected with the same type." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171214141919.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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