Health Minister: HPV Vaccination Expanded to Males Starting This Year

The Ministry of Health will expand the coverage of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination by targeting males this year. This step is taken to suppress the transmission of the virus that causes cervical cancer.

According to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, the HPV vaccine has so far only focused on women. However, men also play a role as carriers of the HPV virus that can be transmitted to women.

“Women are the most affected because they can develop cervical cancer, but the transmission can come from men,” Budi said during a working meeting with Commission IX of the DPR at the Parliament Building in Jakarta on Monday, 20 April 2026.

Budi explained that the national HPV vaccination programme aims to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, which remains one of the leading causes of death among Indonesian women. Therefore, the programme initially targeted school-age girls, particularly the 10-11 age group, before being expanded to adolescent girls.

Although cervical cancer is a disease experienced by women, Budi continued, an approach that only targets women is insufficient. Drawing from many countries, the HPV vaccine is more effective in breaking the transmission chain when administered to men as well.

“If only women are vaccinated, the protection burden is on one side. In many countries, the HPV vaccine is given to both men and women to more effectively suppress transmission,” Budi said.

In addition, expanding the vaccination target to men is expected to increase public acceptance of the HPV vaccination programme. Budi said that experiences from several countries show that women tend to be more receptive to this vaccination when men receive the same treatment.

Budi then urged the public not to hesitate or fear this vaccine. He emphasised that vaccination is one of the most effective and relatively inexpensive preventive health interventions in reducing disease and mortality rates. “Experiences from various countries show that widespread HPV vaccination can significantly reduce cervical cancer cases,” he said.