Male Athletes Need Extra College Classes Regarding HPV

HPV vaccination remains an under educated health risk for most males
(Precision Vaccinations News)

Male collegiate athletes may be living a risky life when it comes to STIs and human papilloma virus (HPV).

According to a new study in the November issue of The Nurse Practitioner, male athletes in college need some additional education.

Most women know that HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world.

Originally recommended for young women, HPV vaccination is now recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preteen girls and boys. Additionally, HPV vaccines are also effective for young adults who didn't previously receive the vaccine.

Estimates suggest that about 20 million Americans are infected with HPV, many of whom are unaware of their infection.

While HPV infection cannot currently be cured, it can be prevented by effective HPV vaccines.

To better understand why male baseball and football athletes in college were not vaccinated for HPV, researchers developed and evaluated a program to increase awareness of the health risks of HPV and the benefits of HPV vaccination.

This research found 21 percent of college-aged males had limited knowledge of HPV, and only 4.5% were concerned about HPV infection.

And their behaviors on campus were very risky, such as:

  • 80% of surveyed males were sexually active,
  • 44% reported having had five or more sexual partners, and,
  • 13% reported rarely or never using condoms.

Immediately after this HPV  educational program, the men showed significant increases in HPV knowledge.

In a three-month study follow-up, just 12 percent of previously unvaccinated men had gotten the HPV vaccine.

Changes in intention and perceived risk seemed more important than increased knowledge in terms of following through with getting vaccinated.

The researchers note "The ability to offer the vaccine may have increased vaccination rates since the athletes indicated an increase in intention and self-efficacy regarding obtaining the vaccine," said Tonna McCutcheon.

Based on their findings, the researchers believe that HPV educational programs should be incorporated into orientation sessions for college freshmen, and that HPV vaccination should be available on campus at student health facilities.

These researchers emphasize that nurse practitioners and all health professionals "are in a unique position to provide HPV education and recommendations for vaccination."

The authors conclude: "The ability to provide HPV education to high-risk populations will further empower individuals to make informed decisions regarding high-risk behaviors, increase HPV vaccination rates, and decrease HPV infection rates."

According to the CDC, HPV is an identifiable cause of nearly all cervical cancers, and is also involved in most mouth and throat, anal, and other cancers, as well as genital and anal warts.

During 2016, the CDC approved a two-dose schedule for adolescents under age 15 instead of the traditional three-dose schedule.

Teens starting at age 15 or later still need three doses.

The Gardasil 9 vaccine immunizes against nine genotypes of HPV known to cause cervical cancer, as well as vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers and genital warts caused by HPV.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector vaccine prices for general information. Most pharmacies offer vaccination services, including HPV.

HPV vaccine discounts can be found here.

 

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