Don’t jump down my throat: gender gap in HPV vaccinations risk long term cancer threats

ABSTRACT

Introduction

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, the principal cause for cervical cancer, and the principal cause for the recent increase in head and neck squamous cell cancers. Current interventions and research goals fail to sufficiently address the need to prevent HPV, and continued stigmatization of HPV as a female disease further discourages young patients from seeking the vaccine.

Areas covered

This paper will review the epidemiology of HPV, including the rise in male cases and cancers, the immunogenicity of the vaccine, results of efficacy and effectiveness trials, and the social and operational challenges to preventing HPV infection within the United States. Statistics were sourced from the CDC. Studies were found through PubMed searches related to HPV. Priority was given to articles published in the last ten years, and policy statements from major associations were considered.

Expert opinion

To improve vaccination rates, diversified physician engagement in vaccinating adolescents, better knowledge sharing about vaccine hesitancy, and specifically targeting males to bridge the gender gap are all necessary. Further, childhood HPV vaccinations and therapeutic vaccinations remain under-researched but potentially effective methods to diminish the incidence of HPV-associated cancers.

KEYWORDS:

• HPV
• oropharyngeal cancer
• cervical cancer
• human papillomavirus
• sexually transmitted disease
• gender gap
• head and neck cancer
• United States of America
• sexism

Article highlights

• HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States.

• HPV is the principal cause for cervical cancer and the principal cause for the increase in head and neck squamous cell cancers.

• HPV vaccination in the United States has been stifled by genderization and stigma, especially in the continued placement of responsibility on women.

• To properly degenderize and increase vaccination, the United States must invest in better public health communication including expanded indications and enrollment of more diverse clinicians, such as pediatricians and dentists, to communicate vaccination need.

• Investment in new HPV therapies such as effective vaccines for younger children and therapeutic vaccines are necessary.

• The addition of the HPV vaccine to the childhood series could single handedly achieve vaccination targets for HPV in the United States.

Declaration of Interests

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants, or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer Disclosures

One reviewer on this manuscript has been a consultant to PathoVax, a bio tech start up company. Additionally they are a member of a federal advisory committee in the USA. A separate reviewer on this manuscript has been a GSK Bivalent Vaccine Phase 2 Study Principal Investigator. All other peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author Contribution

All authors have substantially contributed to the conception and design of the review article and interpreting the relevant literature and have been involved in writing the review article or revised it for intellectual content.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.