Jabs for the Boys

08 February, 2018 / infocus
 

A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the human papilloma virus (HPV) and its potential impact on millions of men and boys in Scotland every year.

The new initiative, dubbed Jabs for the Boys, follows a nationwide study that found fewer than one in four Scots realise that HPV affects men – such as head and neck cancer, anal and penile cancer. Many people thought that HPV only affects women with people four times as likely to associate the infection with cervical cancer.

Peter Baker, campaign director of HPV Action, the group behind Jabs for the Boys, said: “HPV is as likely to occur in men as it is in women – with around 80 per cent affected at some point in their lives. Yet, for many, the risks to men seem to be slipping dangerously under the radar.

In the UK, schoolgirls have been vaccinated for HPV since 2008 and women over 25 have access to free cervical screening. However, boys are excluded from free of charge HPV vaccination by the NHS while older men are without any form of screening programme for HPV-related diseases.

MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about the campaign, visit www.jabsfortheboys.uk

Tags: Boys / HPV / Jabs

Categories: News

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