THEGAYUK

Tag: HPV

All the latest breaking news on HPV. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on HPV.

  • DILEMMA | I’ve just found out that I’ve got genital warts, what should I do?

    DILEMMA | I’ve just found out that I’ve got genital warts, what should I do?

    A reader discovers that he’s got genital warts and want to know if he can treat them himself, Dr Nitin Shori answers the question.

    I have genital warts... Can I get rid of them with a cream?

    Dear TGUK

    I just found that I have genital warts and don’t want to get them frozen off, which I heard is the way to get rid of them.

    Can I get a cream buy one or get one without the doctor having to look?

    Liam

    Hello Liam

    Genital warts are very common in England – second only among sexually transmitted infections (STIs) after chlamydia.

    They often appear as small fleshy growths or lumps in the genital or anal areas and are caused by a viral skin infection related to the human papillomavirus (HPV).

    While they can look unsightly and can sometimes bleed, they don’t usually cause any real threat to your health.

    However, they are a reminder of the need to take adequate precautions against STIs, many of which have very serious health consequences.

    As well as being passed on during sexual intercourse, genital warts can also be spread via skin-to-skin contact.

    It’s important to understand that a condom won’t always protect you and that it is possible for HPV to be transferred from apparently healthy skin.

    As you know, genital warts can be frozen off the skin using a technique called cryotherapy. Medical professionals can also use laser treatments, surgery or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to remove genital warts.

    You’d prefer not to have to see a doctor to have your genital warts removed and you’ll be pleased to learn that prescription liquids and creams could be available for you to use at home if you have been previously diagnosed with genital warts by a doctor.

    Following an online consultation, the Pharmacy2U Online Doctor Service could prescribe you with one of a number of creams and liquids used to remove genital warts.

    Some work by stimulating the body’s immune system against HPV, while others have a directly toxic effect on the wart itself.

    Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to get yourself checked for other STIs if you think there’s a risk that you might have been infected.

    Have you got a dilemma you’d like to ask? Click here to get your question answered.

  • DILEMMA | I have a verruca, can I still go to the sauna?

    DILEMMA | I have a verruca, can I still go to the sauna?

    This week a reader asks whether it’s okay to go to his local sauna when he’s got a verruca.

    going to sauna and getting a verucca
    © ugarin Depositphotos

    Dear Team,

    I love going to my local gay sauna and I go every few weeks or so, the only problem is that I’ve developed a verruca. Should I stop going until it’s cleared up?

    Jon

    Manchester

     

    Dear Jon

    Verrucas are very common indeed and caused by the HPV virus. Many people, will, at some stage develop verruca, but you shouldn’t allow it to stop you doing the things you like to do.

    Unfortunately, verrucas can be very stubborn little buggers to get rid of and can take months or even years to disappear, which is a long time to be away from doing something that you love.

    My suggestion is that you invest in a good remedy like Bazzuca or even see your GP if it’s worrying you too much and wear flipflops to the sauna.

    Ideally, everyone should be wearing flipflops to the sauna anyway. Just so you know, the most common way for warts and veruccas to spread is by skin to skin contact – so it may be wise to keep your feet away from other people’s skin.

    So in consideration of your fellow sauna goers, don’t stop going… and wear some kind of footwear.

    It might also be a good idea to wear waterproof plasters over the verruca – they are cheap to buy and now come in a variety of skin tones, so it shouldn’t draw too much attention to the area.

     

    Have you got a dilemma you’d like our team to answer? Click here to write to us.

     

  • MP Steve Brine urged to extend HPV vaccines for boys up to 18-years-old

    MP Steve Brine urged to extend HPV vaccines for boys up to 18-years-old

    Health experts call on the government to offer ‘catch-up’ HPV vaccination to boys up to age 18 to protect them against fatal diseases

    16 leading experts in the field of HPV and the diseases it can cause have written to the public health minister Steve Brine MP urging him to offer HPV vaccination to boys aged up to 18 as a catch-up programme. This would run alongside the vaccination programme for 12/13 year old boys which the government intends to roll out from September 2019.

    The experts have also called on the minister to make a firm commitment to starting boys’ vaccination next year rather than just saying he intends to do so.

    The letter’s signatories include: Mick Armstrong, chair of the British Dental Association; Professor Michael Escudier, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal Collage of Surgeons; Hisham Mehanna, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Birmingham; Ian Mills, Dean, Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK); Professor Chris Nutting, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital; and Dr Olwen Williams, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV.

    Ministers have so far rejected the case for a catch-up programme for boys on the grounds that boys are partly protected by the vaccination of girls. The experts point out, however, that the government’s own vaccination advisory committee (JCVI) recommended HPV vaccination for boys precisely because vaccinating girls offers boys inadequate protection. Moreover, men who have sex with men are completely unprotected by the girls’ programme. The experts also state that when the girls’ programme was introduced in 2008, they benefited from a catch-up programme and boys should be entitled to the same on the grounds of fairness.

    The announcement of the decision to vaccinate boys was long overdue. It was originally promised in 2015 but took three more years to become policy. In that time, around one million boys missed out on HPV vaccination and they are therefore at risk. The experts argue that the opportunity must be seized to vaccinate as many boys as possible while they are still at school and therefore easier to reach.

    Commenting on the letter, HPV Action’s Campaign Director Peter Baker said: ‘The government must not ignore the views of 16 leading experts in the HPV field. It must reconsider its short-sighted decision not to offer boys a catch-up programme and it must also make an unequivocal commitment to start vaccinating boys from next September. Boys can no longer be left at risk of developing potentially fatal cancers and other diseases caused by HPV.’

  • ADVICE | I have genital warts… Can I get rid of them with a cream?

    This week a reader asks how he might get rid of genital warts, Dr Nitin Shori answers the question.

    I have genital warts... Can I get rid of them with a cream?

    Dear Doctor

    I have genital warts and don’t want to get them frozen off again. Can I get a cream buy one or get one without the doctor having to look?

    Liam

    Hello Liam

    Genital warts are very common in England – second only among sexually transmitted infections (STIs) after chlamydia.

    They often appear as small fleshy growths or lumps in the genital or anal areas and are caused by a viral skin infection related to the human papillomavirus (HPV).

    While they can look unsightly and can sometimes bleed, they don’t usually cause any real threat to your health.

    However, they are a reminder of the need to take adequate precautions against STIs, many of which have very serious health consequences.

    As well as being passed on during sexual intercourse, genital warts can also be spread via skin-to-skin contact.

    It’s important to understand that a condom won’t always protect you and that it is possible for HPV to be transferred from apparently healthy skin.

    As you know, genital warts can be frozen off the skin using a technique called cryotherapy. Medical professionals can also use laser treatments, surgery or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to remove genital warts.

    You’d prefer not to have to see a doctor to have your genital warts removed and you’ll be pleased to learn that prescription liquids and creams could be available for you to use at home if you have been previously diagnosed with genital warts by a doctor.

    Following an online consultation, the Pharmacy2U Online Doctor Service could prescribe you with one of a number of creams and liquids used to remove genital warts.

    Some work by stimulating the body’s immune system against HPV, while others have a directly toxic effect on the wart itself.

    Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to get yourself checked for other STIs if you think there’s a risk that you might have been infected.

  • Welsh Government announces a new HPV vaccination for gay and bisexual men

    The Welsh Government has announced that an HPV vaccination will be made available for all gay and bisexual men.

    An HPV vaccination which could offer protection against certain types of cancers will be offered to gay and bisexual men in Wales. The campaign was rolled out from April 1st.

    It is currently being offered to men, up to the age of 45, who attend sexual health clinics. The decision follows a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). 

    Commenting on the move, Welsh Lib Dem Equalities Spokesperson, Cadan ap Tomos, said,

    “The Welsh Liberal Democrats welcome this announcement as a step towards protecting men who have sex with men against certain cancers. The HPV vaccine is proven to be effective in reducing these risks and should be welcomed.

    “However, while this is a step in the right direction, we want to see the programme go further. All boys aged 14 in Wales should be vaccinated on the same basis as their female peers to ensure the maximum protection, and make sure that gay and bisexual men aren’t at a discriminatory risk of developing these cancers later on in life.”

    What Is HPV?

    HPV is the name for a group of viruses that affect the skin and moist membranes lining the body such as the cervix, anus, mouth and throat. HPV infections are highly contagious when transmitted sexually.

    Some strains of the HPV virus can cause genital warts, and cancers of the anus, penis, mouth and throat. In some cases, it can also cause head and neck cancer.

  • 40 Gay And Bisexual Men Will Be Offered HPV Vaccine In England And Wales

    Up to 40,000 gay and bisexual men attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics will be offered the HPV vaccine as part of a new pilot programme, the Public Health Minister Jane Ellison has announced yesterday.

    The new pilot scheme – to start in June 2016 – will enable the vaccine to be offered to up to 40,000 men via GUM and HIV clinics and the results will inform decisions about a potential national roll out of the programme in the future.

    The Government’s independent vaccine experts – the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation – advised that the three dose vaccine should be offered through GUM and HIV clinics to gay and bisexual men who are at high risk of contracting the virus provided that the service can be delivered at a cost effective price.

    What Is HPV?

    HPV is the name for a group of viruses that affect the skin and moist membranes lining the body such as the cervix, anus, mouth and throat.  HPV infections are highly contagious when transmitted sexually.

    Some strains of the HPV virus can cause genital warts, and cancers of the anus, penis, mouth and throat. In some cases, it can also cause head and neck cancer.

    The HPV vaccine, which has been given to more than three million teenage girls since 2008 to prevent cervical cancer, will be offered to eligible men already attending participating sexual health clinics in England. The pilot is the first step in offering protection to gay and bisexual men.

    Gay and Bisexual to Benefit from the Trial

    Public Health England is finalising which areas will take part in the pilot scheme. GUM and HIV clinics in locations known to have large gay and bisexual male populations will be among the first to take part in the scheme.

    Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison, said,

    “We want to make sure that those most at risk are protected from potentially deadly cancers and genital warts and piloting this new programme is a step in the right direction.”

    “This pilot builds on the success of the current vaccination programme”

    Details about which sexual health clinics will offer the vaccine are being finalised, with some participating clinics aiming to start offering the vaccine to men from June this year.

     

    Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, said:

    “This Government is determined to ensure we address the specific health needs of LGBT people. Giving more people deemed at highest risk access to the vaccine will have a real impact on preventing the spread of HPV. The results of the vaccine roll out among girls has been extremely positive and so I’m delighted that we will now see a pilot roll out of the vaccine to gay and bisexual men.”

  • OPINION | Cost The Reason HPV Vaccinations Aren’t Offered To Boys?

    Extending the HPV vaccine to gay men could help the fight against cancer.

    Dr Gillian Prue, lecturer of chronic illness at Queen’s University of Belfast, recently published in the British Medical Journal, that the current girl-only vaccination programme leaves men who have sex with men (MSM) at risk of infection from the human papilloma viruses (HPV).

    HPV is a common virus that has more than a 100 different strains. Some of them being common and relatively harmless with most people having some form of the virus during their lifetime. For most people, it will cause no symptoms and goes away on its own.

    But there are some strains of HPV that can cause changes in the cells of the lining of the mouth and throat as well as the penis and anus, known as high-risk HPVs. These changed cells have an increased risk of becoming cancerous.

    There are also strains of HPV that cause warts and verrucas, most commonly found on the hands, feet, genital area and anus. But can also be found elsewhere on the body.

    The danger with HPV is that it can be easily spread through skin contact, open mouth kissing and certain sexual acts. Infection is common in men and reports of infection have increased in the past two decades with HPV causing 5% of all human cancers.

    In September 2008, a free vaccination has been readily available for young girls aged between 12-13 in the UK with a catch-up programme for girls up to 18. Heterosexual men gain protection from the virus via vaccinated women but gay and bisexual men have no such protection and are therefore at a higher risk of infection.

    But by introducing the vaccination to men, vaccinated men would be protected against non-vaccinated girls and other men.

    Many countries have already introduced the HPV vaccination to boys such as Canada, Australia and the US. Studies have shown that vaccinating boys will produce both health and economic benefits, reducing the incidences of HPV-related genital warts and cancerous cells developing.

    And although gay and bisexual men are at a higher risk of infections, a programme targeted solely at the gay and bisexual men in the UK would be limited because many gay and bisexual men acquire HPV as teenagers and many have already been exposed to HPV already according to Prue. It has also been criticised that such a programme would appear to discriminate against young heterosexual men who are also susceptible to the risk of HPV.

    Last November the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation agreed to begin work on the possibility of offering the HPV vaccination to adolescent boys and MSM. No doubt the main deterrent for introducing the vaccination will be the cost of the vaccination, estimated to around £24,000,000.

    The most beneficial response to this would be a gender neutral vaccination strategy in schools. Anything else would simply be discriminatory. With the cost of the vaccination paling in comparison to the cost of cancer treatment caused by HPV, it seems like the next logical step in the fight against cancer.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • GMFA calls for HPV jab for 357000 secondary school boys

    Sexual Health Charity GMFA have called on the UK Government to provide a HPV Vaccination to 367,000 12-year-old boys in the hope of protecting them against HPV-Related Cancers

    · HPV infection in men is associated with up to 90% of anal cancers, 60% of penile cancers, and 75% of tonsillar and base-of-tongue cancers.
    · A massive 64% of parents surveyed in a YouGov poll agreed that boys should be offered the HPV vaccine.

    GMFA, one of the biggest sexual health charities in the UK and HPV Action has called upon the government to offer boys HPV Jabs – which will protect them against HPV-Related cancers – such as anal cancer.

    Girls in the UK are already vaccinated.

    GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACT FAST
    HPV Action, a coalition of 25 patient and professional organisations, says, “The Government should act immediately to end the serious future health risks facing boys from some of the UK’s fastest growing cancers.” HPV is commonly known to be the primary cause of cervical cancer in women, but it is also a real and rapidly growing health threat to UK men and especially to gay men.

    VACCINE MOST EFFECTIVE
    Matthew Hodson, Chief Executive of GMFA, adds: “GMFA supports HPV Action’s call for HPV vaccination to be universal. The vaccine is most effective when it is given to pre-adolescents, before the age when most young gay men feel able to be open about their sexuality, even if they have accepted it. The current policy of providing the vaccination to young girls but not to young boys may help prevent heterosexual men from getting HPV sexually but provides no protection for gay men and only limited protection for bisexual men. Gay men are more likely to acquire sexually transmitted infections, including HPV, and so the current policy amplifies existing health inequalities and contributes to the high prevalence of cancers within the gay population.”

    CANCER
    In 2012 HPV accounted for 40,392 new cases – a 15% increase since 2003 of genital warts. In men HPV is associated with up to 90% of anal cancer, 60% of penile cancers and 75% of tonsillar and base-of-tongue cancers.
    Tristan Almada, who co-founded The HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation after losing his mother to HPV-related anal cancer in 2010, said: “I want to prevent the horror my family went through from ever happening to anyone else again. We have that opportunity today via universal HPV vaccination. The UK should be a leader, not a laggard, to the rest of the world.”