11 million men are infected with this microorganism that can cause throat cancer

Leer en Español: United States: 1 out of 9 men suffer from oral papilloma

In the past, people believed that men only carried the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), while it affected only women. Even Profamilia, a private institution that promotes sexual and reproductive education, assured that just 50% of the infected men can develop symptoms, but it is severely aggressive in women due to the fact that it is responsible for cervical cancer. According to the World Health Organization, this cancer is one of the most deadly among women.

According to new evidence, HPV can cause positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in men more commonly than in women.

However, recent findings show that the Human Papillomavirus is now affecting more men. There are more than 200 types of HPV. They can cause warts in different parts of the body. However, some of those types of papillomavirus can also develop IGNORE INTO cancer depending on the infected area.

Research made by Harvard University, University of Florida, and other institutions across the US, studied the information gathered from the 2011 to 2014, including a test for 37 different types of HPV. The results showed that 11.5% in men had oral HPV, compared to 3.2% of women.

The probability of high-risk oral Human Papillomavirus are even greater among black men, marijuana users, cigarette smokers -more than 20 cigarettes a day-, and men with multiple partners, according to the study.

Men had 5.4% greater predicted probability of high-risk oral HPV infection than women.

The authors assured that “this study’s findings provided several policy implications to guide future OPSCC, Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, prevention efforts to combat this disease”.

Global Health Panorama

The Center for Disease Control of the United States (CDC) assured that the Human Papillomavirus is the most common infection in the sexually transmitted disease.

According to the National Cancer Institute in the United States, the HPV produces around 70% of the oropharyngeal cancers and more than 50% of the cancers are related with the HPV 16. The institution explained that the oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma can produce persistent sore throat, earache, hoarseness, swollen lymph glands, hurt to swallow and unjustified weight loss. However, some of the infected patients don’t experience signs or symptoms.

Latin American Post | Santiago Gómez Hernández

Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto