Why Vaccinate Boys as well as Girls against HPV?

In a personal view (www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g4834) published in the BMJ today (Wednesday 30th July 2014), Dr Gillian Prue, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast, and a member of the Men's Health Forum in Ireland, says that boys should be vaccinated against the HPV virus as well as girls.  Gillian highlights how the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is common in men, and can lead to genital warts and the development of some head and neck, anal or penile cancers.  She says that the incidence of this has increased in the past two decades; with HPV causing 5% of all human cancers.  Since September 2008, a free vaccination has been available for 12-13 year old girls in the UK, with a catch up programme for girls up to age 18.  However, Australia, the USA, Austria and parts of Canada have introduced a vaccination for both boys and girls.  This article makes a strong case for including boys in the vaccination programme in the UK and elsewhere.  The authors of a linked editorial in the BMJ also ask 'What about the boys?'  Professor Stanley, Dr O’Mahony and Dr Barton say that they share the Royal College of Surgeons’ disappointment about the lack of response to concerns about the 'inequity of vaccinating only girls against HPV'.