HPV – Not gender specific – Helen Minnery
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 16th February 2018
The human papilloma virus (HVP) has been in the news a lot of late. It is the name given to a group of more than 200 viruses that affect the skin and moist membranes lining the body and can affect the cervix, anus, mouth and throat. It is thought to cause around 5% of all cancers worldwide,[i] including 70% of oropharyngeal cancers,[ii] as well as genital warts.
Despite the perceived higher risk of health conditions caused in women, it has become clear that men face a high risk as well. Attention has been brought, in particular, to the fact that boys and men are left relatively unprotected from the dangers of HPV.
In the UK, girls of school age have been offered a free vaccination for HPV since 2008, with women over the age of 25 provided access to free cervical cancer screenings. However, boys are excluded from the free vaccination by the NHS and adult men have virtually no form of screening for any HPV-related illnesses. Men who have sex with other men do qualify for a free vaccination at sexual health clinics, but this is only made available if they are attending for a different reason and therefore this is not provided across the board. The decision by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in the summer of 2017 to not regularly vaccinate boys against HPV was a disappointing one. Indeed, it may even be described as an act of discrimination – and HPV does not discriminate between male and female. It also presented a missed opportunity for prevention over cure, as the approximately £20-22m a year it would cost to vaccinate boys is a far less than the cost of treating HPV-related cancers and warts.
The need for education and awareness among the general population remains clear. Worryingly, a poll by HPV Action – a collaborative partnership of 48 patient and professional organisations striving to raise awareness of the risks of HPV – suggested that fewer than one in eight adults identified HPV as associated with diseases that affect men. In addition, more than one in three British men did not believe themselves to be at risk of HPV.
HPV Action is therefore working hard to educate the general public and to warn everyone of the dangers of the potentially life-threatening virus. The focus is very much on encouraging boys and men to understand more about the disease and its possible consequences, in an attempt to prevent infection and transmission.
The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) feels this is an important issue right now and is a member of HPV Action in order to help spread the word. Dental professionals are well placed to provide information and advice to a wide range of patients on the topic, and we would like to encourage you all to get involved, support the cause and make sure your patients are informed on such an important subject.
A dedicated campaign was launched by HPV Action in December 2017 to take this to the next level. Jabs for the Boys is an initiative designed specifically to provide all the useful information members of the public need and it is a great tool for dental practices to utilise when broaching the subject with patients. The website (www.jabsfortheboys.uk) includes details about the virus, who can get it, what it does and how it can be prevented – all vital information for everyone to have.
The BSHDT would encourage all dental professionals to make use of this website by offering it as a source of information. It will take a massive joint effort if we are to raise awareness of HPV and its risks and help more people avoid the potentially horrific consequences it can bring.
For more information about the BSDHT, please visit www.bsdht.uk,
call 01788 575050 or email enquiries@bsdht.org
