http://www.asiaone.com/Health/Men%27s+Matters/Story/A1Story20090422-136829.html
Wed, Apr 22, 2009
AsiaOne
"Cauliflower" sex disease cases rise in Singapore
In the last five years, the yearly number of genital warts cases in Singapore has shot up 63 per cent.
The yearly figure has risen from 800 to more than 1,300 last year, with male sufferers outnumbering female ones by over six times, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
Genital warts is caused by the humanpapilloma virus (HPV), which is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. The virus can infect people of all age groups and causes a cauliflower-shaped growth to appear on the genitals.
"The majority of sufferers are male. Typically, there are six or seven male sufferers for every female sufferer," said National Skin Centre medical director Dr Roy Chan. He was speaking last Saturday at a press conference on HPV vaccination.
But this disparity is seen not just for genital warts - there have always been more cases of sexually-transmitted infections among men than among women, said Dr Chan.
The reasons for the rising trend of genital warts cases include people leading more sexually active lifestyles and young people engaging in sex from an earlier age.
The ages of genital warts sufferers can range from 10 to over 60 years, but the infection more commonly hits those aged 20 to 40.
According to Dr Chan, there are more than 100 types of HPVs, with types six and 11 causing over 90 per cent of genital warts cases. HPV types 16 and 18, on the other hand, cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers.
There are often no symptoms with HPV infection and many people are infected without knowing it, said Dr Chan. Most of the time, the immune system is able to get rid of the infection.
Condoms do not provide enough protection
The use of condoms during sex may not prevent HPV infections, as the HPV can survive for a long time on the skin. As a result, HPV infections can occur as long as there is close contact of the skin around the genitals, explained Dr Chan.
Currently, HPV vaccine Gardasil is available on the market for protection against both cervical cancer and genital warts. Only females aged nine and above are allowed to take this vaccine shot.
Dr Chan said he hopes that such shots will be made available as well to local males in the near future. Studies have shown that such vaccines are also effective in preventing genital warts in males, he said.
Wed, Apr 22, 2009
AsiaOne
"Cauliflower" sex disease cases rise in Singapore
In the last five years, the yearly number of genital warts cases in Singapore has shot up 63 per cent.
The yearly figure has risen from 800 to more than 1,300 last year, with male sufferers outnumbering female ones by over six times, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
Genital warts is caused by the humanpapilloma virus (HPV), which is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. The virus can infect people of all age groups and causes a cauliflower-shaped growth to appear on the genitals.
"The majority of sufferers are male. Typically, there are six or seven male sufferers for every female sufferer," said National Skin Centre medical director Dr Roy Chan. He was speaking last Saturday at a press conference on HPV vaccination.
But this disparity is seen not just for genital warts - there have always been more cases of sexually-transmitted infections among men than among women, said Dr Chan.
The reasons for the rising trend of genital warts cases include people leading more sexually active lifestyles and young people engaging in sex from an earlier age.
The ages of genital warts sufferers can range from 10 to over 60 years, but the infection more commonly hits those aged 20 to 40.
According to Dr Chan, there are more than 100 types of HPVs, with types six and 11 causing over 90 per cent of genital warts cases. HPV types 16 and 18, on the other hand, cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers.
There are often no symptoms with HPV infection and many people are infected without knowing it, said Dr Chan. Most of the time, the immune system is able to get rid of the infection.
Condoms do not provide enough protection
The use of condoms during sex may not prevent HPV infections, as the HPV can survive for a long time on the skin. As a result, HPV infections can occur as long as there is close contact of the skin around the genitals, explained Dr Chan.
Currently, HPV vaccine Gardasil is available on the market for protection against both cervical cancer and genital warts. Only females aged nine and above are allowed to take this vaccine shot.
Dr Chan said he hopes that such shots will be made available as well to local males in the near future. Studies have shown that such vaccines are also effective in preventing genital warts in males, he said.
