Title thesis: HPV in men

D’Hauwers investigated in her thesis how frequently HPV occurs in combination with penile cancer in Belgium; how best to screen men for HPV; what men and women currently know about the virus, infection and cancer as a possible consequence; and their attitudes towards HPV vaccination.

D’Hauwers examined a group of men suffering from penile cancer. HPV was found to be present in the surgical tissue of 71% of these patients. This does not necessarily mean that HPV caused all of these penile cancers: the presence of HPV in combination with cancer might be coincidental. D’Hauwers tested HPV in urine, sperm and urethral smears, and concluded that the urine method is insufficiently sensitive to allow for the reliable detection of HPV. Sperm cells are perfectly suited to this kind of investigation; however, the virus is not found in the sperm of all men who have HPV. Urethral smears yield a sufficient quantity of cells and DNA material and also contain HPV, but only if the man’s partner has also tested positive for HPV. If the smear was less painful it would be an ideal screening method.

People’s increasing awareness of the need for HPV vaccination was highlighted by one of D’Hauwers’ studies. Willingness to be vaccinated against HPV was found to have increased between 2006 and 2012. Also, participants’ knowledge of HPV and its consequences were found to have increased over time.