HPV Vaccination Is Well Tolerated in Men According to Study

A statistical study with almost 5,500 patients vaccinated against human papillomavirus infections concluded that anti-HPV vaccination is generally well tolerated by men.

Gardasil 9

While thousands of cancers in men per year in the US are due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a study concluded that the vaccine used to prevent HPV infections is well tolerated and safe for men.

Every year about 13,800 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the US and 4,290 women die from it. Most cervical cancers are caused by viruses called human papillomaviruses (HPV), which are transmitted during sexual intercourse with or without penetration and especially during the first years of sexual life.

Until recently, in the US vaccination against HPV infections was only given to girls between 11 and 14 years of age, immunocompromised individuals, and homosexual and bisexual men up to the age of 26.

But men can also get HPV-related cancers: thousands of new cases occur in the US each year in men. In fact, some types of throat cancers are also caused by HPV infections. It was, therefore, necessary to extend the vaccine to more men.

In 2018 the FDA obliged and approved the HPV vaccine for use by men and women up to 45 Years of age. This move made it possible to ensure sufficient vaccination coverage to stop transmission in the general population and thus better protect boys and men, regardless of their sexual orientation, but also girls and unvaccinated women.

Some side effects in men

But what about the men’s’ tolerance to the vaccine against the human papillomavirus? To date, there are no studies dealing with this topic. New papers published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are expanding our knowledge about the safety profiles of HPV vaccines in the male population.

The authors of the study reviewed 5,493 post-immunization adverse events (AEFI) reports in the U.S. Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) from January 1, 2006, to September 30, 2018 and concluded that HPV vaccines are generally well tolerated in men, although the limitations of self-reporting should be considered. The most common side effects reported by men who received the vaccine included syncope(fainting), loss of consciousness, and falls.