Mechanisms of HPV transmission in the era of HPV prevention vaccines

Investigation at two pharmaceutical companies is rapidly progressing such that a licensed HPV vaccine is now available. There are compelling data to suggest that male HPV infection and subsequent transmission of HPV to female sexual partners strongly influences HPV infection and cancer in women. Initial dissemination of prevention HPV vaccines will only involve females as there is insufficient data to provide an estimate of the public health impact of vaccinating both males and females and the cost-utility of vaccinating both males and females. The information needed to fill in this gap is an estimate of the per contact infectivity of HPV among sexual partners and vaccine efficacy in males.