“A silent threat for Boys can be threatened by Vaccine”
Human Papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection of the reproductive tract, and the main cause of cervical cancer cases worldwide.
The people infected with HPV show no symptoms.
Reasons to get vaccinated by HPV Vaccine:
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine is cancer prevention.
When your child is 11 or 12, vaccinate him with HPV vaccine to protect them against cancer caused by HPV infection in the later stage of life.
85 % of the people get infected with Human papillomavirus in their lifetime.
Every sexually active person who have not received the vaccination will get infected at some time in their life.
Most of the HPV infections go away on their own however the infection that doesn’t go away cause certain type of cancer.
In men, HPV can cause cancers of the:
Penis
Anus
Oropharyngeal cancer (back of the throat) including the base of the tonsils and tongue.
HPV vaccination prevents cancer:
The projected number of incident HPV related cancers is 121,302 in 2025, contributing
7.7% (males: 3.3% and females: 12.0%) to total cancer cases in India.
It is said that prevention is better than cure, same applies with prevention of infections caused by papillomavirus by vaccinating with HPV vaccination.
Why do boys also need to get HPV vaccine?
It is an assumption that Human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease affects only women leading to cervical cancer, but it causes cancer in men too.
So, whenever there is an awareness campaign of getting girls vaccinated, it is important to vaccinate boys as well.
Effect of HPV virus in Boys/men:
The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is not gender biased.
Every sexually active person without the vaccination, whether male/female is a carrier and has a risk of developing cancer at some point in his/her life.
Most of the infections go on its own, but some of the infection causes cancer in later stages of life.
HPV – a silent threat for Boys:
HPV causes several types of cancer, but only cervical cancer can be detected early with a screening test.
The other cancer caused by HPV cannot be detected early.
At what age Boys should be given vaccination?
HPV vaccine is recommended for boys both between 9 and 14 years as it gives maximum protection in early years and provides better antibody response.
So, boys are protected and indirectly girls are also protected, as the virus cannot transfer from partner to partner and together, they build a healthy community.
Dosage of HPV vaccine for Boys:
Two doses are enough for children who get vaccinated before their 15th birthday. (6-12 months apart), however if you are giving after 15th birthday you need three doses of HPV vaccine (given over 6 months).
Early protection is the best as it protects the child even before it comes in contact with the virus.
Side effects caused by HPV vaccination:
Like any other vaccine, HPV vaccine do have side effects, however these side effects are mild which includes:
Swelling, pain or redness in the arm at the injection site
Dizziness or fainting
Nausea
Headache
Muscle or joint pain
However, the benefits of HPV vaccines outweighs the risk of potential side effects among people.
Safety of HPV vaccines:
Safety of HPV vaccines is closely monitored by CDC and FDA.
Over 15 years of monitoring and research, it has showed that HPV vaccines are very safe and effective.
Like all other vaccines continuous monitoring has been done by scientists on HPV vaccine to ensure that it is safe and effective.
The vaccine provides long lasting protection against the virus.
To know more about HPV vaccination for boys, consult your doctor or book a free consultation at INVC.
Source:
www.ecancer.org
