HPV Vaccination for Boys: Is It Rational?

On 16 February 2026, detikcom reported that “11-year-old boys will receive free HPV vaccines starting in 2027”. This was followed on 24 March 2026 by an article from detikcom titled “Men Also Must Be Vaccinated Against HPV”.

The reasoning behind these two articles is the concept that men can also become infected with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Of course, infected men will not develop cervical cancer.

However, there is a risk of transmitting it to their sexual partners. Subsequently, those sexual partners are at risk of suffering from cervical cancer if the HPV infection does not heal completely.

This information requires a response to enhance public understanding.

First, the concept of HPV vaccination for girls is linked to the relationship between Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection in the genital area and the occurrence of cervical cancer. When an HPV infection occurs, thanks to the body’s immunity, around 90% of sufferers can overcome it well, and the virus disappears completely.

But in a small portion, a latent infection occurs: not severe, but ongoing. After this latent infection persists for a long time, changes gradually occur in the cervical cells, which then progressively become cancer cells.

Thus, HPV infection is considered a risk factor for cervical cancer. Several reports state that the role of HPV as a risk factor for cervical cancer is over 90%, even up to 99%. This means its role is significant.

Other factors that also play a major role in these changes are triggered by sexual activity. The higher the sexual activity, in the sense of greater frequency of exposure to HPV-infected cells, the higher the risk of cancer.

Not only in the cervix. HPV infection can also spread to the oral cavity or anus. Therefore, cancer can also occur in those areas, just as in the cervix.

Thus, HPV vaccination is given at an age before entering the sexually active period. Its nature is to prevent HPV infection, so it does not become a risk factor that, combined with sexual activity, increases the risk of cervical cancer.

For girls, the theory, concept, and HPV vaccination programme are logical and rational. But what about boys? They don’t have a uterus, after all?

The developed concept is that boys can also become infected with HPV. During sexual activity, infected boys can transmit it to their partners. Following the concept of HPV vaccination for women, boys also require HPV vaccination.

The target according to that concept is to build herd immunity. Meaning, to add protection for women from the risk of HPV infection by preventing HPV infection in boys.

Is this concept already valid?

The idea of HPV vaccination for boys for the purpose of herd immunity first emerged in 2011 by Brisson et al. (The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 204, Issue 3, 1 August 2011). But the study concluded that:

The benefit of vaccinating boys decreased with improved vaccination coverage in girls. Given the important predicted herd immunity impact of vaccinating girls under moderate to high vaccine coverage, the potential incremental gains of vaccinating boys are limited.

My understanding is that the benefits of HPV vaccination for boys decrease if the HPV vaccination coverage among girls has already increased. Because the herd immunity achieved among girls is already moderate to high, the potential benefits from giving HPV vaccination to boys become limited.

In other words, the additional benefit for protecting girls is not significant.

Later, there were several similar ideas, but they have not yielded significant results. In December 2022, the WHO stated that the primary target for HPV vaccination is recommended for girls aged 9-14 years before becoming sexually active. The target is to achieve at least 80% coverage of the population. With such coverage, it also reduces the risk of HPV infection in men.

Secondary vaccination targets for adult women, boys, adult men, or men who have sex with men are only recommended if “feasible and affordable” (if possible and affordable).

From the above explanation, the WHO recommends that HPV vaccination be part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. HPV vaccine must be included in the national immunisation programme, and the main target is girls aged 9-14 years.

Priority groups include individuals with immune disorders and those who have experienced sexual abuse. Vaccination can also be expanded to secondary targets such as older women, boys, and adult men, only if this is indeed possible and affordable.

In Canada, a statement on 24 July 2024 strongly recommends one dose of HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-20 years, and two doses for ages 21-26 years. For those with compromised immune function (immunocompromised), a third dose is added. Also for HIV sufferers.

For those over 27 years old, it is given after discussion and agreement between healthcare workers and the recipient. But there is still no HPV vaccination programme for boys or adult men. This is very much in line with WHO recommendations.

Similarly, in July 2024, the US CDC recommended the same vaccination schedule for girls as in Canada.

In November 2024, there was a publication by Naidoo et al. that specifically discusses HPV vaccine for boys. Titled: Breaking barriers: why including boys and men is key to HPV prevention. Its content also aligns with a publication in February 2025 by Patra et al. titled: HPV and Male Cancer: Pathogenesis, Prevention and Impact.

Both explain that the body’s ability to clear HPV infection is on average higher than in women. But indeed, the male body