The Government is set to roll out the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for 14-year-old girls across India to reduce the country’s enormous cervical cancer burden, years after the national immunisation advisory body recommended its inclusion in the programme.
But HPV is not just a women’s health issue. The virus is also responsible for genital warts and several cancers in men, including penile, anal and throat cancers. Specialists say vaccinating adolescent boys can significantly reduce their risk of contracting and transmitting HPV later in life.
HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, oral or anal sex. Infection occurs when genitals — including the vulva, vagina, penis, scrotum, rectum or anus — come into contact with infected body parts. Certain high-risk strains can trigger precancerous changes that may eventually develop into malignancies.
Vaccination offers protection against many of these strains and the cancers they cause.
However, not all HPV vaccines provide the same breadth of protection. A specific vaccine currently available covers a wider range of HPV strains and acts as a broader protective shield — but it comes at a steep price.
THE CASE FOR VACCINATING BOYS
According to Dr Manish Mann, Head of Paediatrics and Neonatology at Paras Health, Gurugram, HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination is recommended for adolescent boys as a preventive health measure.
The HPV vaccination can protect boys immunised in early years later in life from penile cancer, anal cancer, HPV related throat cancer and genital warts- all showing steady rise in incidence over the years.
As per GLOBOCAN 2022 data, India reported over 10,000 cases of penile cancer in a single year. Anal cancer, though relatively uncommon, is rising and is often associated with HPV infection, apart from risk factors such as HIV, smoking and older age.
Scientific evidence also shows that HPV-related oropharyngeal (throat) cancers are increasing among Indian men, with oropharyngeal cancer accounting for 63.2 percent of all HPV-related male cancers in India.
Genital warts — medically known as condylomata acuminata — caused primarily by HPV types 6 and 11, are also increasingly reported in Indian men. In STI clinics, the prevalence ranges between 2 and 25 percent.
In women, beyond cervical cancer, the vaccine also offers protection against vaginal and vulvar cancers, oncologists point out.
What is even more important, says medical oncologist Dr Sachin Sekhar Biswal from Manipal Hospital in Bhubaneshwar, is that vaccination of boys at an early age will not only decrease the spread of the virus within a community but also provide further long-term protection for the whole community, helping to promote future positive public health.
WHICH HPV VACCINE OFFERS WHAT
In India, three manufacturers offer HPV vaccines in the private market: Merck & Co. (Gardasil 4 and Gardasil 9), GlaxoSmithKline (Cervarix), and Serum Institute of India (Cervavac).
Cervarix protects against HPV types 16 and 18, strains responsible for over 80 percent of cervical cancers and a significant proportion of anal cancers. Gardasil 4 and Cervavac protect against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.
Gardasil 9 offers the broadest protection, covering nine HPV types — 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 — including strains responsible for 75–90 percent of cervical cancers, several other HPV-related cancers and most genital warts.
The catch is cost. A single dose of Gardasil 9 in India costs around Rs 10,500. For optimal protection, three doses are generally recommended for boys and girls aged 9–14, taking the total cost to nearly Rs 32,000 per child. In some cases, vaccination is advised up to 45 years of age.
For many Indian families, that price tag makes comprehensive protection difficult — raising a pressing question: if HPV prevention is a public health priority, can boys afford to be left out?
