Rates of infection with human papilloma virus among males worldwide are high, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Human papilloma virus, or HPV, causes cancer. And we have a vaccine that can prevent infection, yet a recent study shows that almost a third of males worldwide are infected with high risk strains of the virus, especially younger males. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, offers his perspective.

Nelson: Most of the guidelines in this country is you should invite vaccinate both genders. There have been a lot of attempts to figure out what's the right age. You want to vaccinate them before they are exposed to HPV which usually is along with sexual activity as that begins. You don't want to vaccinate everyone when they're two years old because you want the immunity to be robust when they begin sexual activity. That has caused a lot of social challenges. I think we've been trying to do is probably vaccinate these viruses out of populations and I'm sure there'll be a benefit to that.  :32

So get vaccinated for HPV, Nelson says. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.