One in three men over 15 globally have at least one incidence of genital HPV, underscoring the need to include males in HPV prevention strategies. The prevalence remains high from young adulthood through later life, particularly for high-risk HPV types linked to cancers.
Most of the 288 adults surveyed were not aware that HPV causes oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and had not been told of the relationship by their healthcare provider.
Estimates based on a recent literature review lend further weight to arguments in favor of vaccinating boys against HPV to prevent certain types of cancer.
HPV is the most expensive of all routine pediatric vaccines and the reimbursement by third-party payers varies widely. The concerns about HPV reimbursement often appear on clinician surveys.