HPV Vaccination’s Effects on Cancer in Males

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major cause of anogenital cancer and an increasingly recognized cause of head and neck cancer, particularly oropharyngeal cancer. HPV vaccination lowers these risks in women and girls, but evidence of benefit in boys and men (beyond preventing HPV infection) is limited. Researchers used a large health database to conduct a retrospective study of risk for HPV-related cancers (head and neck, penile, esophageal, and anal) among ≈500,000 U.S. males vaccinated at ages 9 to 26 years (mean, 14) and ≈500,000 matched unvaccinated controls. Vaccinated individuals received one or more 9-valent HPV vaccine doses between 2016 and 2024. Follow-up duration was up to 10 years (median not reported).