Can a Male Get HPV

HPV is a virus that is contracted by both men and women, so there is every possibility that a male may acquire HPV. As of now, there is no clinically approved medical test available for men to detect HPV. Normally a doctor can visually examine the penis and surrounding areas for genital warts that usually appear on the scrotum, anus, penis and thighs in men. Although men are not at a high risk compared to women, carcinogenic genital warts on the penis can lead to ‘squamous-cell’ cancer of the penis. It is also known that in most males, the HPV will disappear on its own without causing any health risk.

Males are susceptible to some 30 strains of the virus that can lead to the cancer of the anus or the penis. The risk is higher in sexually active homosexual males or those practicing bisexual sex, and those with AIDS /HIV. Overall, the high-risk cancer causing HPV is rarely present in males, and the low-risk HPV that causes warts is the most active.

While males contract HPV, there are no certified clinical procedures or means of diagnosing the genital warts, and most doctors rely on the visual check to confirm the presence. Sometimes, applications of vinegar help in raising the warts which otherwise may not be visible. Nevertheless, these tests are not fool-proof and even normal skin can give the appearance of a wart due to the stinging stimulation of vinegar. A doctor may recommend a pathological anal pap test as the risk of cancer may increase. The Pap test would be done on the tissue cells collected from the anal region of susceptible males who get HPV.

For males who get HPV, there are no confirmed and accepted forms of diagnosis and no prescribed treatment. In most cases, the doctors are compelled to treat the health problems arising from the cause instead of the infection itself; however, males who get HPV are not at all at the risk level as compared to females.

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