2.05.2005

HPV Study to begin

Daily News...Advocate.com: "Researchers in Tampa, Fla., are enrolling male subjects for a study on how human papillomavirus reacts in men, the St. Petersburg Times reports. The study is funded by a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the largest ever awarded to study the sexually transmitted virus among men.

HPV can cause anal and genital warts in men and has been linked with cases of anal and penile cancer. It has been estimated that 50% of sexually active gay men have HPV. Many may not know they have it.

The issue has not been researched much in the past and hopefully this new study in Florida will lead to some good information from which to start. It is thought that HPV increases the chances of anal cancer and that 90% of men living with HIV have HPV. The combination of HPV and HIV is likely one of the additional contributing factors to the increased rates of cancer found in that population base.

Here's too Florida's study and some good data, data that may assist in getting gay men and men who have sex with men, better treatment and health care.

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