Can Gays Get HPV?
Only about 40 of the more than 250 types of HPV virus are sexually-transmitted. Anyone can acquire any of the 250, including sexually active people of any gender or sexual preference. In recent years it has come to the attention of the medical community that gay and bisexual men are at greater risk of HPV-related cancers than are other men.
HPV is transmitted during sexual contact, as is any other sexually-transmitted disease. This contact includes not only heterosexual intercourse, but also oral sexual contact and anal sex. In order to understand how easily one can be infected with the virus, it is useful to know specifically how it is passed. HPV, whether of a genital type or not, is always passed from skin to skin, or from surface to skin. Some strains of the virus can survive for days on surfaces that are dry and cool.
For a gay or bisexual man or woman, this means that genital forms of HPV, including those most dangerous strains that can lead to cancers, are easily passed. Unlike HIV/AIDS, which has to be passed from bodily fluid of the carrier contacting the blood stream of the one infected, HPV only needs to be lying on a surface and come into contact with skin. Imagine all the opportunities for this to take place!
It is important for gays to understand that sharing sex toys can pass the HPV virus. For men, it is important to understand that HPV passes through oral sex, and has been known to lead to serious disease, including cancer of the “head and neck,” throat or respiratory system. A disease called RRP, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, is the result of HPV-related growths lining the respiratory tract. This disease is difficult to overcome, requiring recurring treatment and even multiple surgeries.
So what to do? First, gays can take some of the same precautions anyone does and practice safe sex. Since there is no way to know whether your partner is carrying HPV, and since your partner is likely not to know themselves that they are carrying it, safe sex makes a lot of sense.
Condoms will not protect you in every case, since the skin area that may be carrying papillomavirus may lie outside of the area covered by the condom. However, condom use can greatly reduce your risk. Make certain that sex toys are kept clean when being shared. Keep in mind the way that HPV is transmitted.
Also, know the risks inherent in anal sex practices. Bottom line: the anus was not meant physiologically for enduring sexual intercourse; the skin is extremely susceptible to tearing and injury. This tendency, along with the possibility for HPV viral contact, may up the risk for HPV-related cancers and for anal cancer in general in gays: statistics suggest that this is so. If you do participate in anal sex, take all the precautions you can. Use adequate lubricant to prevent tearing, and use a condom to prevent spread of sexually-transmitted viruses, including HPV.
Safe sex means limiting your sexual partners. The more people who come into sexual contact with, the greater your chance of being exposed repeatedly to various strains of HPV.
There is no medical test to check for HPV, however some physicians are using the pap test to look for anal cancer in men. If you are a gay man concerned about HPV, ask your doctor whether this might be a good option for you.
