Abstract

More than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) have been identified based on DNA homology, and more than 40 types of them can infect the anogenital area. HPV infections can cause genital warts, and high-risk genotypes are associated with penile and cervical cancer. The majority of HPV infections are asymptomatic, unrecognized, or subclinical. HPV high-risk genotype 16, 18, 35, 51, 58 are reported to the common causes of cervical cancer in Korea. Diagnosis of genital warts can be easily made by visual inspection, and the primary treatment goal is the removal of the warts. Although several treatment modalities for genital warts show similar effectiveness, 20∼50% of patients will experience recurrences of warts after therapy within 3-6 months. Although several well-designed studies have examined the association between male circumcision and HPV infection, results are still inconsistent. To date, the two first-generation vaccines (Gardasil?, Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, USA; Cervarix?, GSK Biologicals, Belgium) have been used for prevention of cervical cancer, and both vaccines have been approved for use in women only, despite men being known to be the responsible vector. Currently there are no published data demonstrating that the vaccine can protect men from getting genital warts or HPV-related penile cancer. The increasing incidence of HPV infection and genital warts highlights the need for an clinical trials conducted in men to reveal the reduction rate of the HPV vaccines.

• Keywords: Human papillomavirus, Warts, Circumcision, Sexually transmitted diseases