Number of the Month
Date: 03/02/2025
2,900 men develop an HPV-related tumour in Germany each year

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) can cause cervical cancer not only in women. These viruses can also account for various types of cancer in men: these include carcinomas of the oropharynx (the part of the throat adjacent to the oral cavity), the penis and the anus. HPV are most commonly transmitted sexually.
Recent studies show that in Europe, about 20% of men aged 15 and older are infected with at least one type of HPV with a high cancer risk. In Germany, an estimated 2,900 men develop an HPV-related malignant tumour each year, which corresponds to about 1.1% of all cancers in men.
The “Standing Committee on Vaccination” (STIKO) therefore also recommends HPV vaccination for boys aged 9 to 14 years. However, so far only about one third of 15-year-old boys in Germany are fully vaccinated against HPV (as of 2023). In addition, there are strong regional differences: in some regions, less than 10% of 15-year-old boys are fully vaccinated, while in others, more than 70% are.