Florida researchers begin male HPV study

Researchers in Tampa, Fla., are enrolling male subjects for a study on how human papillomavirus reacts in men, the St. Petersburg Times reports. The study is funded by a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the largest ever awarded to study the sexually transmitted virus among men. HPV can cause anal and genital warts in men and has been linked with cases of anal and penile cancer. Health officials estimate that about half of all sexually active gay men carry the virus; as many as 90% of HIV-positive gay men are coinfected with HPV. More than 3,000 men ages 18-44 who are not currently infected with HPV are being sought for the Tampa trial. Studies also will be conducted in Mexico and Brazil. The researchers hope to learn more about how HPV spreads among men so they can better understand how to prevent it, possibly through HPV vaccines that are currently being studied to prevent the development of HPV-related cervical cancer among women.