Not just women, men should also get HPV vaccinations to safeguard themselves against cervical cancer, stress health experts.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a viral infection that is passed between people through skin-to-skin contact.

There are more than 100 varieties of HPV, 40 of which are passed through sexual contact and can affect the genitals, mouth or throat.

While the vaccine gives protection to girls and women against cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer, it also helps protect boys and men against genital warts, penis and anal cancer caused by the HPV virus.
“Yes, men should be vaccinated for HPV. The vaccine was approved in 2009 and men between the age group of 9-26 can get vaccinated for prevention of genital warts and anal cancer,” a Dr. said.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that besides girls, all boys in the age group of 11 or 12 should be vaccinated against HPV and may be vaccinated till 21 years of age.

“In US and Europe, more boys and young adults are being vaccinated against HPV. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil 9 — the HPV vaccine — in 2009-2010 for vaccinating boys and men aged nine to 26 years,” added an expert.

The experts stressed that both men and women should be vaccinated against HPV before they become sexually active, particularly between the age group of nine to 26.

Besides viral warts, HPV is also one of the factors responsible for malignancies of the oropharyngx (back of throat, base of tongue and tonsils). The virus can spread by way of anal or oral sex in males.
The virus comes in over 100 types, of which HPV 16 and HPV 18 constitute the highest risk and may lead to precancerous lesions. If these go undetected and untreated, these lesions may progress to cervical cancer over the years.

Besides cervical cancers, HPV is also one of the leading causes of oral cancer — one of the most common cancers in India.

The experts suggest that men and women both need to be aware of the risks and should consult their doctor to take the necessary safety measures.

“HPV certainly plays a role in the development of cervical cancer. In some of the cases, environment and lifestyle may have a major role in developing the cancer. Risk factors include multiple sexual partners, smoking, weak immune system with sexually-transmitted infection,” he  said.

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‘Pollution’s dangers can be passed on to next generation’

Parent’s exposure to dirty air before conceiving could have a negative impact on the heart health of the offspring later in life.
These are the findings of a study in mice.

Wondering about the possible health risks for children of people routinely exposed to highly polluted air, including soldiers and residents of some of the world’s largest cities, the researchers studied the effects of dirty air on mice. And they found an abundance of evidence of harm to the offspring of parents that routinely breathed dirty air prior to mating.

“We found that these offspring had a variety of heart problems during the prime of their lives and the effects were so robust that it was somewhat shocking,” said study senior author.

Heart function was impaired. Inflammatory markers linked to increased heart disease risk were high. They had markers of oxidative stress, a condition in which levels of beneficial antioxidants are low. Calcium regulatory proteins, which are critical to the function of the beating heart, were altered. And these mice were young and otherwise healthy – comparable to 20-year-old humans.

“This suggests that heart problems related to pollution exposure could start even before conception, and if that’s true it has implications worldwide,” said the author.

The team also uncovered evidence of gene-related differences that might explain the cardiovascular changes they saw. They examined epigenetic regulators, which play an important role in the expression of genes – meaning that they have influence over predisposition to health problems, including cardiovascular disease.

“I looked at important epigenetic regulators in the offspring, and some were activated, which could explain the differences we saw. The next step will be a more detailed analysis,” said study lead author.

“A key question here is how are changes in the sperm and eggs passing on the information to the offspring to cause this heart dysfunction?” he said.

Though more animal research is needed, this study also opens the door to exploring the role of air pollution on the health of future generations, he said. For instance, it might make sense to begin by working with adults with high levels of exposure to particulate matter, such as residents of New Delhi and Beijing, he added.

“We already know that humans have dramatic cardiovascular effects from exposure to dirty air, high blood pressure in particular. And we know that babies can be harmed by pollution both before and after birth,” he further added.

“Understanding whether the damage may begin even before conception is critical,” he concluded.

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