In the United States, only 16% of 18-21 year olds have received a dose of the vaccine, compared to 42% of women of the same age.
- In France, vaccination against the papillomavirus is recommended for young boys and covered by the Health Insurance
- A study highlights the low adherence of young men to this vaccination in the United States
- The papillomavirus can be the cause of ENT cancers which affect 80% of men
Since January 1, 2021, theHealth Insurance reimburses the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for boys. The High Health Authority recommends two injections for boys and girls between 11 and 14 years old, with a possible catch-up up to 19 years old, in three injections in this case. In the United States, the Center for Disease Control, which manages public health in the country, has similar recommendations. Despite this incentive to vaccinate, the candidates are few.
Insufficient vaccination of young boys
From University of Michigan researchers used data from a national health survey to estimate the number of boys vaccinated in the country. They estimate that only 16% of men aged 18 to 21 have received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. In comparison, this rate reaches 42% among girls of the same age. Less than a third of the boys received all the doses, compared to nearly half of the girls. “18-21 year olds are at that age in life where they are making decisions about their health, on their own, for the first timeexplains Michelle M. Chen, author of the study. (…) Young men, who are less likely to have a GP, generally do not receive health education, about vaccines preventing cancer for example.”
A vaccine that protects against cancer
This is the whole point of the HPV vaccine: human papillomaviruses cause infections, in men and women, they can be eliminated naturally by the body, but they are also sometimes responsible for potentially cancerous lesions. They can cause cancers of the anus or the cervix in particular, but also ENT cancers. “I’m not sure that many people, whether caregiver or patient, know that this vaccine is actually a way to prevent cancers in men and women“, supposes Michelle M. Chen. In the United States, HPV now causes more ENT cancers than cervical cancers, and in 80% of cases, it is men who are affected.
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