WEDNESDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is prevalent in the foreskin of males, suggesting that boys should be vaccinated before adolescence, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 14 to 19 in Washington, D.C.
Michael Ladurner Rennau, M.D., of Innsbruck Medical University in Austria, and colleagues evaluated anonymized foreskins of 133 males, aged 7 months to 82 years, without clinical HPV-associated warts, who had undergone radical circumcision for phimosis.
The investigators found low-risk HPV genotypes in 18.8 percent of the examined foreskins and high-risk HPV in 9.77 percent; however, no patients had clinical symptoms of disease. The authors concluded that vaccinating pre-adolescent boys against HPV is advisable.
"Our study revealed the occurrence of subclinical genital low- and high-risk HPV infections in boys and men, which could be a reservoir for HPV-associated diseases," the authors write. "Since it is proven that viral transfer results from sexual contact, it is advisable to vaccinate not only girls but also boys before adolescence."
Abstract No. 1423
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