Health News
2007-04-10
Gay men taking
HPV vaccine
Gay and bisexual
men in San Francisco are signing up to take Gardasil,
the vaccine intended to prevent the human papillomavirus in
women.
Gay and bisexual
men in San Francisco are signing up to take Gardasil,
the vaccine intended to prevent the human papillomavirus in
women. Men are asking their doctors for the vaccine,
hoping it will prevent anal and penile cancer, which
can also be caused by HPV, Jason Riggs, spokesman for
the STOP AIDS Project, told KPIX in San Francisco.
"The prevalence
of anal cancer among gay and bisexual men is very
high," Riggs said in the report. "So that's why some people
are looking at this as a possible preventive cure for
anal cancer and HPV that causes anal cancer."
According to
KPIX, anal cancer occurs among gay and bisexual men at a
rate 35 times higher than that of the general population,
occurring more in those infected with HIV.
However, concerns
have been raised over the validity of men taking the
drug, since it is not yet clear whether the drug is as
effective for men as it is for women. (The
Advocate)
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