Homosexuals and HPV
If you are a gay man or woman, you might be wondering if you need to
screen for HPV through pap cervical or anal smears. It's
important to know that HPV can be contracted not only by penile
penetration of the vagina. HPV can be passed through other forms of skin to
skin contact and even through oral to skin contact, for instance, through oral
sex.
The Disease Is Much Less Prevalent Among The Lesbian And Gay Community
A study underway at the University
of Washington has found
that many lesbian women have the human papillomavirus (HPV), even among those
who have never had sex with a man. Researchers do believe, however, that the
disease is much less prevalent among the lesbian and gay community, since the
greatest risk of contagion seems to come from heterosexual sexual intercourse.
The rates of contagion among the lesbian population are not low enough to risk
skipping regular pap smears to screen for cervical cancer. Both lesbian and
straight women should insist on having regular pap smears as part of a
preventative health regimen.
Over 65% Of HIV Negative Gay Men Have
HPV
As for gay men, it turns out that over 65% of HIV negative gay men have
HPV, not an insignificant number. The presence of HPV in men is determined by
an anal pap smear. A male anal pap smear is taken in much the same way that a
cervical pap smear is taken. Cells are also obtained from the penis head and
shaft with a small file. The procedure is not painful, but it is uncomfortable.
Until now, doctors have not recommended that men have injections of Gardasil, the vaccine for HPV. However, the manufacturers of the HPV vaccine,
Merck, are now running trials to discover whether the vaccine is safe and
effective for men. In general, HPV poses no risk to men, however there is
concern that anal sex with an infected partner can bring on anal warts, leading
to anal cancer in gay men. For the purposes of the study, Merck is seeking gay
men who have had less than 5 male sexual partners and the trial takes three
years. So far, there are 4000 men taking part in the trial for male use of
Gardasil.
It's important to keep in mind that only 1% of sexually active men are
diagnosed with anal cancer per year and that only certain strains of the HPV
virus are considered to be a cause of this cancer, but the rates of contracting
anal cancer are 35 times higher in gay and in bisexual men.