Study Finds HPV Infection More Prevalent Among Men

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is much more prevalent among men than women. The results are based on the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey in which oral, penile, and vaginal swabs were collected from participants, in addition to answers to a variety of health questions. The survey data revealed that one in nine men were infected with HPV and the overall prevalence of HPV was 11.5% in men compared with 4.2% in women. HPV 16, which is the strain most likely to cause cancer, was six times more common among men than women.

The study “Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection: Differences in Prevalence Between Sexes and Concordance With Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection, NHANES 2011 to 2014” was published in the October edition of the journal.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. November 2017;15(11):10.