CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The vaccine for the human papillomavirus could help prevent not only cervical cancer, but also anal cancer, reports TheNew York Times. Both cancers are caused by the same strains of HPV.
Anal cancer is most common in men who have histories of receptive anal intercourse, but it can affect anyone. There is an annual rate of about 35 cases per 100,000, but that figure nearly doubles for those living with HIV.
"The cervix is similar biologically to the anus, so there's plenty of hope that it will work there also," Joel Palefsky, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Times.
The vaccine became available last summer after the Food and Drug Administration approved it for girls and women from ages 9 to 26. Studies showed that the vaccine is highly effective against four of the dozens of HPV strains, including the ones responsible for most cases of genital and anal warts, and cervical and anal cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, infecting 6.2 million people every year.
The rate of anal cancer for gay men is similar to rates of cervical cancer before the use of the Pap smear, a test used to detect precancerous cells. Many gay men are unaware that they have an increased risk of anal cancer.
Pharmaceutical giant Merck has made a vaccine called Gardasil that has been approved by regulators in Australia and the European Union for boys ages 9-15. Data shows it caused an immune response in boys, but its ability to prevent infection in sexually active men has not been demonstrated. (The Advocate)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Conjoined twins Lori Schappell and trans man George Schappell dead at 62
April 27 2024 6:13 PM
Latest Stories
Nancy Pelosi endorses Kamala Harris for president
July 22 2024 4:07 PM
Charli XCX declares Kamala Harris IS brat & our next President's campaign agrees
July 22 2024 3:08 PM
Pete Buttigieg roasts JD Vance and his gay tech bro billionaire
July 22 2024 1:42 PM
The AIDs pandemic can be ended by 2030, but governments must act: report
July 22 2024 1:01 PM
Conservatives' first attack on Kamala Harris: Pronouns and accessibility?
July 22 2024 12:45 PM
Advancing equality during Disability Pride Month
July 22 2024 11:30 AM