Bad News, Male Virgins: You Could Already Have HPV

If there ’s one trick that terrible sex - male erecticle dysfunction programme rely on to pall teens out of boning , it ’s the idea that only abstinence can keep you safe from spiritual ruination and disease . But a newstudypublished in The Journal of Infectious Disease seems to undersell even the basic assumption of that panic attack tactic : Being a virgin does n’t needfully protect you from catching common sexually transmit infections like the human papillomavirus ( HPV ) , which can cause venereal warts and cancer .

The researchers , from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , look at information from an earlier field of study demand healthy manful volunteers living in Brazil , the United States , and Mexico . The original study , meant to gain a picture of how and which type of HPV spread in manpower , chase more than 4,000 man ( years 18 to 70 ) from 2005 to 2009 via check - ups taken six months asunder for up to 10 sojourn . This study more specifically focussed on the 87 homo who self - place as Virgo at the start of the study . And while they found that sexually fighting military man were at slap-up hazard of catch HPV , male virgins could come down with it too . Around a quarter had any HPV strain , and nearly a 5th had a high-pitched risk air know to cause cancer .

“ Previous study have found HPV among distaff virgins , but this is the first to find it among virile Virgin , ” cogitation generator Alan Nyitray , an epidemiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center , said in astatement . “ find HPV in this population was not alone surprising , but it reenforce the peak that HPV vaccination should not be thought of only in the context of use of intimate conduct . ”

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

As best as they can guess , though , these ill-fated virgins did likely take in their HPV through sexual activity — we’re talking at least sliding around second base territory like “ handwriting to genital middleman ” or “ genital to genital link . ” And because of how catching the virus is , losing their quint - notice also quickly up their risk of HPV : A quarter of former virgins caught HPV within the first year after penetrative sex ; intimately one-half had done so by the 2nd year .

The study is only the latest to beat us over the top dog with how significant it is to vaccinate both son and girls against HPV as early as potential , even before the birds and bees talk . Not all type of HPV are as life-threatening , but the most common strain around — and the ace we immunise against — can increase the endangerment of developing cancer around our genitals , anus , and pharynx , even without stimulate any visible symptom . Other strains can also make venereal wart . The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionestimatesthat some 14 million multitude hitch HPV annually , a tally that contributes to around 29,000 genus Cancer cases that could be prevented through inoculation every year .

While HPV does n’t single out by gender , vaccine rates among human race have imprison behind women , in part because the vaccinum was first only offered and advised for young lady friend . presently , it ’s recommended that boy and girl get two stroke of the vaccinum when they ’re 11 or 12 , while older stripling and adults up to geezerhood 26 should get three .

William Duplessie