HPV isn’t just a women’s health issue. And the HPV vaccine isn’t just about preventing cervical cancer.
For years, conversations about human papillomavirus (HPV) have largely centered on women, Pap tests and cervical cancer.
But that tells only part of the story.
HPV affects men and women. It is extraordinarily common, often causes no symptoms at all, and persistent infection with certain high-risk types can lead to several different cancers—including cancers that affect men.
The encouraging part? Many of these cancers are preventable.
The HPV vaccine is one of the tools we have today that can actually prevent infections that cause cancer later in life. The CDC estimates that HPV vaccination can prevent more than 90% of cancers caused by HPV.
And when it comes to cervical cancer, vaccination combined with screening has created something remarkable: a realistic path toward eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.
First, just how common is HPV?
Very.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and the World Health Organization estimates that almost all sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives, usually without symptoms.
That last part is important.
Having HPV does not necessarily mean someone will know they have it.
In about 9 out of 10 infections, the immune system clears HPV on its own within approximately two years without causing health problems. But when infection with a high-risk HPV type persists, it can cause cellular changes that may eventually develop into cancer.
This progression can take years or even decades—which means an infection acquired much earlier in life can have consequences much later.
HPV isn’t just associated with cervical cancer
Cervical cancer has received much of the attention surrounding HPV for good reason: HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers.
But HPV is also responsible for cancers of the:
- Anus
- Oropharynx, including the back of the throat, base of the tongue and tonsils
- Penis
- Vulva
- Vagina
- Cervix
The numbers make the connection even clearer.
According to the CDC, approximately 49,900 cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States in areas of the body where HPV is commonly found, and about 39,300 are estimated to actually be caused by HPV.
HPV is estimated to cause approximately 91% of cervical cancers, 91% of anal cancers, 75% of vaginal cancers, 69% of vulvar cancers, 63% of penile cancers and 70% of oropharyngeal cancers.
In other words, HPV prevention is cancer prevention.
Men need to be part of the HPV conversation
One of the most persistent misconceptions about HPV is that it is primarily something women need to worry about.
It isn’t.
HPV infections are common in men, too, and they frequently cause no symptoms. In fact, most people with HPV—regardless of sex—never know they have it. Someone can also transmit HPV even when they have no signs or symptoms.
And unlike cervical HPV, for which screening can identify high-risk infections or precancerous changes, there is no approved routine HPV screening test to determine a man’s overall “HPV status.”
That makes prevention particularly important.
Men also carry a significant burden of HPV-related cancer. Current CDC estimates indicate that approximately 22,800 HPV-associated cancers occur among males in the United States each year, with oropharyngeal cancer being the most common HPV-associated cancer among men.
So vaccinating boys isn’t simply about preventing HPV transmission to women.
It’s about protecting boys and men from cancers they themselves can develop.
The HPV vaccine is a cancer-prevention vaccine
That distinction is worth emphasizing.
We often think of vaccines as preventing an infectious illness—a case of measles, influenza or another acute disease.
The HPV vaccine does something extraordinary: by preventing infection with cancer-causing HPV types, it can prevent cancers that otherwise might develop decades later.
CDC estimates that the currently used 9-valent HPV vaccine could prevent approximately 36,400 HPV-attributable cancers in the United States each year.
The vaccine works best when given before exposure to HPV, which is why vaccination is recommended during adolescence rather than waiting until someone becomes sexually active.
Current CDC recommendations call for routine HPV vaccination at ages 11–12, although vaccination can begin at age 9. Catch-up vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26 who wasn’t adequately vaccinated earlier. Some adults ages 27–45 may also choose vaccination after discussing their individual circumstances and potential benefit with their healthcare provider.
And importantly, those recommendations apply to boys and girls, men and women.
Could we actually eliminate cervical cancer?
Potentially, yes—and that’s one of the most extraordinary parts of this story.
The World Health Organization has established a global strategy specifically aimed at eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Its goal isn’t based on vaccination alone. The strategy combines three powerful tools: widespread HPV vaccination, effective cervical cancer screening and appropriate treatment of precancer and cancer. WHO’s targets call for 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women to receive high-performance screening at recommended ages, and 90% of women identified with cervical disease to receive appropriate treatment.
That’s why I would be slightly careful with saying the vaccine is “eradicating cervical cancer.”
A more accurate—and arguably more powerful—message is:
For the first time, we have the tools to put cervical cancer on a path toward elimination.
Vaccination is a critical part of that effort, but screening remains essential. Even people who have received the HPV vaccine should continue recommended cervical cancer screening.
Why vaccination matters even when HPV is so common
Because exposure to one HPV type doesn’t mean someone has been exposed to every cancer-causing type covered by the vaccine.
The vaccine prevents new HPV infections; it doesn’t treat an HPV infection someone already has. That’s one reason vaccination provides the greatest benefit before HPV exposure.
For adults ages 27–45 who weren’t previously vaccinated, the decision is more individualized. The CDC recommends shared clinical decision-making rather than routine vaccination for everyone in this age range because many adults have already encountered HPV and the population-level benefit is smaller. But some people may still benefit depending on their circumstances and likelihood of future exposure.
That’s a conversation worth having with a healthcare provider rather than assuming you’re either “too old” or don’t need it.
HPV prevention is everyone’s issue
Perhaps the biggest shift we need isn’t scientific. It’s cultural.
HPV shouldn’t be viewed simply as a women’s health issue.
It shouldn’t be viewed only as an STI conversation.
And the HPV vaccine shouldn’t be thought of simply as a vaccine for adolescent girls.
HPV vaccination is cancer prevention—for girls and boys, women and men.
Preventing an HPV infection today could mean preventing cervical, anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar or oropharyngeal cancer years from now.
That’s a conversation worth having with your doctor—and, for parents, with your child’s pediatrician.
Because when we have the ability to prevent cancer before it begins, prevention deserves our attention.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basic Information about HPV and Cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancers Caused by HPV.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancers Associated with Human Papillomavirus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Genital HPV Infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV Vaccine Recommendations.
World Health Organization. Human papillomavirus and cancer.
World Health Organization. Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative.
