Shockingly, in men who were eligible for vaccination, only 10.7 percent had received the vaccine. “The overall genital HPV infection prevalence appears to be widespread among all age groups of men, and the HPV vaccination coverage is low,” the study’s researchers concluded.
Meanwhile, the highest rate of infection, 33.7 percent, was found among non-Hispanic Blacks; the lowest, 11.9 percent, among Asians. As for genital HPV infections, 21.6 percent of Whites and 21.7 percent of Hispanics, showed the highest rate of infection.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is so common that nearly all men and women will get it at some point during their lives – particularly in their early 20s. While the virus is mainly contracted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone exhibiting symptoms, the agency warns that it can be passed on even when the infected person has no symptoms.
It’s important to note, that the new data is just a snapshot of the commonness of active oral infections from 2011 through 2014, and active genital infections in 2013 and 2014, The New York Times reports.
“One of the most striking things that we really want people to know is that high-risk HPV is common — common in the general population,” Dr. McQuillan added.
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Prevention
The CDC recommends routine screening for cervical cancer for all women ages 21 to 65 years old, noting that adults are not normally screened for HPV alone. In fact, there is no HPV test available for men. However, a test is available for women, to be used in conjunction with a pap test.
Adolescents and young adults of either sex on the other hand should get vaccinated against HPV recommended through age 26, according to recommendations from the CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.