The risk of infection by the human papillomavirus is higher among men with AIDS, with the anus, penis and mouth being the areas with the highest risk of infection. This is the result of a study carried out by scientists from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Lluita Contra el SIDA Foundation and the IrsiCaixa Foundation and published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
According to the study, the incidence of the virus is very high in any HIV-positive man, however it has been observed that the infection rate is 47% among those who have sex with other men, a much higher percentage compared to the 12% infection rate among heterosexual men. Regardless of these results, scientists recommend that any man with HIV should increase the frequency of routine medical examinations of the oral, anal and penile cavity. At these visits, human papillomavirus-related pathology can be ruled out by cytology or PCR.
Development of cancer
It is important to bear in mind that the human papillomavirus is associated with the development of several types of cancer, such as cervical cancer, anal cancer or penile cancer. Again, the study shows that the development of cancer is more frequent among the HIV-positive population and appears especially among homosexual men. Anal cancer is the most frequently detected cancer in this group of patients.
Regardless of sexual behavior, several studies have shown that there is a link between HIV and the human papillomavirus. This is confirmed by a study carried out by the AIDS Vaccine Research Project (HIVACAT), according to which the presence of the human papillomavirus in men increases their risk of contracting AIDS up to four times.