What is HPV and how is it treated?

Hundreds of thousands of teenage boys are to be offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to protect them against potentially life-threatening infections.

The HPV vaccination programme was introduced for girls in 2008, and more than 80% of females aged between 15 and 24 in the UK have now been vaccinated. Girls are offered their first injection at the age of 12 or 13, with a second dose between six and 12 months later. The jabs are free on the NHS up until the age of 18.

Pressure had been “mounting to extend the vaccinations to boys” in response to figures showing rising numbers of cancers in men that are linked to HPV, The Times reports.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce an expansion of the programme to 12- and 13-year-old boys in the coming months, according to the Daily Mail.

HPV Action, which has been calling for the vaccination for boys for five years, said the news was “very encouraging” but urged the Government to act fast.

What is HPV?

According to the NHS website, HPV is the name for a group of viruses that affect your skin and the moist membranes lining your body.

Such membranes include the cervix, mouth, throat and anus.

There are more than 100 types of HPV. Around 30 of them can affect the genital area, and can be passed from person to person through sex.

Some HPV types have been linked to the development of certain cancers, including cervical cancer. The NHS says that 99.7% of all cervical cancers are caused by an infection with a high-risk type of HPV.

Experts stress that the majority of HPV infections do not cause any problems and that our immune systems can get rid of them.

Can HPV be treated?

There is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause, including genital warts and certain cancers.

If you have HPV and the virus has caused abnormal cells, you may require treatment, says the i news site. For women, going for smear tests is the best protection against cervical cancer, since the tests can identify abnormal cells before they have a chance to develop into cancer.

The national HPV vaccination programme uses a vaccine called Gardasil.

Gardasil protects against four types of HPV: 6, 11, 16 and 18. Between them, types 16 and 18 are the cause of most cervical cancers in the UK (more than 70%).

HPV types 6 and 11 cause nearly all cases of genital warts (90%), so using Gardasil helps protect girls against both cervical cancer and genital warts.

The HPV vaccination does not protect against other infections spread during sex, such as chlamydia.