Anal human papillomavirus infections in young unvaccinated men who have sex with men attending a sexual health clinic for HPV vaccination in Melbourne, Australia

Vaccine. 2019 Oct 8;37(43):6271-6275. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.08.066. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

Abstract

The Victorian Government introduced a time-limited quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination catch-up program targeting gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (MSM) aged up to 26 years in 2017. As of 2017, men aged ≥20 years were not eligible for the school-based HPV vaccination program. This study examined the prevalence of anal HPV among 496 MSM aged 20-26 years before they received the first dose of the HPV vaccine at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia. More than half (56.5%) had any high-risk HPV genotypes detected in the anus. Almost half (43.1%) had at least one quadrivalent HPV vaccine-preventable genotype (6, 11, 16 or 18) and one-fifth (21.0%) had HPV 16 detected in the anus. These findings suggest that a targeted catch-up HPV vaccination program for MSM is still beneficial to protect against high-risk HPV genotypes associated with anal cancer, as well as low-risk HPV genotypes.

Keywords: Anal; Cancer; Catch-up program; Gay men; HPV; Homosexual; Human papillomavirus; MSM; Prevention; Vaccination; Vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ambulatory Care Facilities / statistics & numerical data
  • Anal Canal / virology*
  • Anus Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Anus Neoplasms / virology
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Homosexuality, Male
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Papillomavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Prevalence
  • Sexual Health
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities*
  • Vaccination / statistics & numerical data*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Papillomavirus Vaccines