HPV vaccine, used in cervical cancer cases, can be given to men too: Doctors

NOIDA: A day after the Centre said it is actively considering rolling out the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine — usually administered to women diagnosed with cervical cancer — in the country’s immunisation programme, doctors said it could also be crucial in preventing genital warts and various cancers in men.

During her Budget speech on Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government will encourage vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years to prevent cervical cancer. The death of model Poonam Pandey on Friday at the age of 32, due to cervical cancer, also puts the spotlight back on the disease that is often termed as 'a silent killer' as it rarely presents any noticeable symptoms during its onset.

Dr Preety Aggarwal, medical director of the obstetrics and gynaecology department at Noida’s Motherhood Hospital, said, “While in India and few other countries, the vaccine has been predominantly associated with preventing cervical cancer in women, its significance extends far beyond this. HPV is a widespread virus that can affect both men and women and the vaccine can provide a shield against genital warts and prevent head and neck, vaginal, anal, and penile cancers.”

Dr Swasti from Max Vaishali said men can take the vaccine between nine and 26 years, while women can be administered the jab till 45 years. “However, the best time to get an HPV vaccine is between 11 and 13 years because it is these crucial years that the body develops immunity and the vaccine helps the cells 'to make a memory' against the particular virus,” she said.

According to doctors, cervical cancer is associated with poor genital hygiene, early marriage, multiple sexual partners and repeated pregnancies. Although the burden of cervical cancer — the fourth most common cancer that occurs in women worldwide — is increasing in the country, deaths can be prevented through regular screening, such as Pap smears or HPV tests.

As per global estimates, around 453 million Indian women aged above 15 years are at risk of developing cancer, said Dr Jalaj Baxi from Fortis Hospital in Greater Noida.

HPV Screenings Can Avert Cervical Cancer

The AIIMS Preventive Oncology Clinic found that 10-15% of women aged 30-60 tested positive for the high-risk HPV type. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women. January is cervical cancer awareness month. Doctors advise regular HPV tests for sexually active women to prevent cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer kills over 70k in India annually: Doc explains why HPV vaccine is a must for girls

32-year-old actor Poonam Pandey from Kanpur died of cervical cancer. The news of her death has drawn attention to the prevalence of cervical cancer in India and the importance of vaccination. The HPV vaccine is a crucial preventive measure against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases, offering extended protection and reducing the global burden of these illnesses.

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