Health Care Influenced by Masculinity

via Daily Collegian, by Roy Ribitzky

Men’s assumed and undeserving position in society is coming at a huge cost to our health. The performance of hegemonic masculinity is forcing men of all races, classes and education to sacrifice their mental and physical health.

Men are expected to be strong, athletic, successful, competitive, in control, relentless, risk takers, promiscuous, able to drink a lot of alcohol, breadwinners and stoic. When men are compelled to take the impossible task of fitting into society’s socially constructed image of what a real man is, the consequences on their mental health are ignored. We all know men who partake in risky and unhealthy behaviors. But we also know men who are alone, depressed and in conflict with who they are versus what they are supposed to be. It is called the “paradox of masculinity.”

Men are the dominant beings in patriarchal societies: Most Fortune 500 CEOs are men, most federal judges are men, most representatives and senators in the United States Congress are men. So while men as a group are powerful in our society, men as individuals feel powerless in the struggle to be a hegemonic man. Like all oppressions, there are costs to those who are privileged. Institutionalized racism negatively affects whites because it prevents integration among the races. Additionally, homophobia negatively affects straight men because of the violence perpetrated by homophobic individuals onto any man whom they deem to be gay or feminine. In no way do racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, etc., affect dominant groups in the same way it affected marginalized groups and individuals, but the oppressor’s house was still built with the tools of oppression.

On average, men die at least five years earlier than women. Men are more likely to suffer from heart and lung disease than women. For every woman that commits suicide, four men do, and it is the second leading cause of death for college students. Men are more likely to engage in unsafe sex practices, unhealthy drinking behaviors and suffer injuries in sports and in the workplace. Men are not as likely as women to get emotional or medical support. Before and after Columbine, it has been young men who pulled the trigger.

Read the Rest.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Oral HPV More Common in Men Than Women

via The New York Times, by Anahad O'Connor


About one in 15 Americans is infected with oral human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted virus that causes throat cancers, and the disease is especially common among men, new research shows.

The research is the first major study to document the nationwide prevalence of oral human papillomavirus, or HPV, a disease that has drawn growing attention from public health experts because it has fueled a rise in oropharyngeal cancers affecting the back of the tongue and the throat. Researchers showed last year that throat cancers caused by a particular strain of the virus, HPV Type 16, have tripled in the last 20 years. But it was unclear exactly how many people over all were carrying HPV, which exists in more than 40 forms.

By looking at thousands of people across the country, the authors of the new report found that 6.9 percent of adults and teenagers are infected with oral HPV of any kind. The virus was about three times as common in men as it was in women. And the scientists identified several behaviors that significantly raised the risk of becoming infected: increasing age, greater sexual activity and smoking cigarettes.

But the study, which was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, also revealed some reassuring findings, said Dr. Maura L. Gillison, the chairwoman of cancer research at Ohio State University and senior author of the paper. While the overall prevalence of HPV was about 7 percent, only 1 percent, or roughly two million people, were infected with HPV 16, the strain linked to throat cancers and many cases of cervical cancer. Fewer than 10,000 cases of throat cancer caused by HPV 16 are diagnosed every year, indicating that most people with the virus do not develop cancer.

Read the rest.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

HPV Vaccine against Anal HPV Infection and Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia

via The New England Journal of Medicine, by Joel M. Palefsky, M.D., Anna R. Giuliano, Ph.D., Stephen Goldstone, M.D., Edson D. Moreira, Jr., M.D., Carlos Aranda, M.D., Heiko Jessen, M.D., Richard Hillman, M.D., Daron Ferris, M.D., Francois Coutlee, M.D., Mark H. Stoler, M.D., J. Brooke Marshall, Ph.D., David Radley, M.S., Scott Vuocolo, Ph.D., Richard M. Haupt, M.D., M.P.H.

Background

The rate of anal cancer is increasing among both women and men, particularly men who have sex with men. Caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), primarily HPV type 16 or 18, anal cancer is preceded by high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia (grade 2 or 3). We studied the safety and efficacy of quadrivalent HPV vaccine (qHPV) against anal intraepithelial neoplasia associated with HPV-6,11, 16, or 18 infection in men who have sex with men.

Methods

In a substudy of a larger double-blind study, we randomly assigned 602 healthy men who have sex with men, 16 to 26 years of age, to receive either qHPV or placebo. The primary efficacy objective was prevention of anal intraepithelial neoplasia or anal cancer related to infection with HPV-6, 11, 16, or 18. Efficacy analyses were performed in intention-totreat and per-protocol efficacy populations. The rates of adverse events were documented.

Results

Efficacy of the qHPV vaccine against anal intraepithelial neoplasia associated with HPV-6, 11, 16, or 18 was 50.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25.7 to 67.2) in the intention-to-treat population and 77.5% (95% CI, 39.6 to 93.3) in the per-protocol efficacy population; the corresponding efficacies against anal intraepithelial neoplasia associated with HPV of any type were 25.7% (95% CI, −1.1 to 45.6) and 54.9% (95% CI, 8.4 to 79.1), respectively. Rates of anal intraepithelial neoplasia per 100 person-years were 17.5 in the placebo group and 13.0 in the vaccine group in the intention-to-treat population and 8.9 in the placebo group and 4.0 in the vaccine group in the per-protocol efficacy population. The rate of grade 2 or 3 anal intraepithelial neoplasia related to infection with HPV-6, 11, 16, or 18 was reduced by 54.2% (95% CI, 18.0 to 75.3) in the intention-to-treat population and by 74.9% (95% CI, 8.8 to 95.4) in the per-protocol efficacy population. The corresponding risks of persistent anal infection with HPV-6, 11, 16, or 18 were reduced by 59.4% (95% CI, 43.0 to 71.4) and 94.9% (95% CI, 80.4 to 99.4), respectively. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

Use of the qHPV vaccine reduced the rates of anal intraepithelial neoplasia, including of grade 2 or 3, among men who have sex with men. The vaccine had a favorable safety profile and may help to reduce the risk of anal cancer. (Funded by Merck and the National Institutes of Health; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00090285.)

Read the full study here.



[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

The Rape of Men

via The Guardian, by Will Storr

Sexual violence is one of the most horrific weapons of war, an instrument of terror used against women. Yet huge numbers of men are also victims. In this harrowing report, Will Storr travels to Uganda to meet traumatised survivors, and reveals how male rape is endemic in many of the world's conflicts.

Of all the secrets of war, there is one that is so well kept that it exists mostly as a rumour. It is usually denied by the perpetrator and his victim. Governments, aid agencies and human rights defenders at the UN barely acknowledge its possibility. Yet every now and then someone gathers the courage to tell of it. This is just what happened on an ordinary afternoon in the office of a kind and careful counsellor in Kampala, Uganda. For four years Eunice Owiny had been employed by Makerere University's Refugee Law Project (RLP) to help displaced people from all over Africa work through their traumas. This particular case, though, was a puzzle. A female client was having marital difficulties. "My husband can't have sex," she complained. "He feels very bad about this. I'm sure there's something he's keeping from me."

Owiny invited the husband in. For a while they got nowhere. Then Owiny asked the wife to leave. The man then murmured cryptically: "It happened to me." Owiny frowned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old sanitary pad. "Mama Eunice," he said. "I am in pain. I have to use this."

Laying the pus-covered pad on the desk in front of him, he gave up his secret. During his escape from the civil war in neighbouring Congo, he had been separated from his wife and taken by rebels. His captors raped him, three times a day, every day for three years. And he wasn't the only one. He watched as man after man was taken and raped. The wounds of one were so grievous that he died in the cell in front of him.

Read the rest.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

High prevelance of anal pre-cancerous lesions in men with HIV

Via Aidsmap, by Michael Carter



Prevalence and incidence of high-grade pre-cancerous anal lesions in HIV-positive men who are taking antiretroviral therapy are high, Canadian investigators report in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. A low nadir CD4 cell count and infection with HPV types 16 and 18 were associated with an increased risk of developing high-grade pre-cancerous anal lesions (AIN-2, 3). The investigators hope that their findings will help identify patients who have a higher risk of HPV-associated anal disease.

Rates of HIV-related opportunistic infections have fallen significantly since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy.

However, the incidence of anal cancer is increasing.

Most of the information about the risk factors for this disease in HIV-positive gay men was obtained during the era before effective antiretroviral therapy became available. These include high-grade pre-cancerous lesions, infection with HPV 16 and 18, multiple HPV infections and CD4 cell count.

Investigators from the Canadian Human Immunodeficiency and Papilloma Virus Research Group (HIPVIRG) wanted to establish a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors for progression to AIN 2 and 3. They also wished to see if treatment with anti-HIV drugs had any impact on disease progression.

A total of 247 men who were taking or about to initiate antiretroviral therapy were recruited to the study between 2002 and 2005. The patients had swabs to see if they had anal HPV infection, and if present further tests were conducted to determine whether strains associated with anal cancer were present.

Read the rest
 
[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

FDA approves Gardasil to prevent anal cancer [Dec 22]

Read the press release from the FDA.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today [December 22] approved the vaccine Gardasil for the prevention of anal cancer and associated precancerous lesions due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in people ages 9 through 26 years.

Click here for the Gay Men's Health Crisis press release on Gardasil for men.
 

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Age-Specific Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Anal Human Papillomavirus (HPV) among Men Who Have Sex with Women and Men Who Have Sex with Men

via The Journal of Infectious Diseases

Background

An increasing incidence of anal cancer among men suggests a need to better understand anal canal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among human immunodeficiency virus–negative men.

Methods

Genotyping for HPV was conducted on cells from the anal canal among men who have sex with women (MSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM), aged 18–70 years, from Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Factors associated with anal HPV infection were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

The prevalence of any HPV type and oncogenic HPV types did not differ by city. Anal canal HPV prevalence was 12.2% among 1305 MSW and 47.2% among 176 MSM. Among MSW, reporting a lifetime number of ≥10 female sex partners, a primary sexual relationship <1 year in duration, and a prior hepatitis B diagnosis were independently associated with detection of any anal HPV in multivariable analysis. Among MSM, a younger age, reporting ≥2 male anal sex partners in the past 3 months, and never using a condom for anal sex in the past 6 months were independently associated with detection of any anal HPV in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

Number of sex partners was associated with anal HPV infection in both MSW and MSM. Anal HPV infection in men may be mediated by age, duration of sexual relationship, and condom use.

Read the full article.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

External Genital Human Papillomavirus Prevalence and Associated Factors Among Heterosexual Men on 5 Continents

via The Journal of Infectious Diseases

Background

We examined the baseline prevalence of penile, scrotal, and perineal/perianal human papillomavirus (HPV) in heterosexual men (HM). We also evaluated baseline characteristics of HM to assess factors associated with prevalent HPV detection.

Methods

We tested serum samples from 3463 HM aged 16–24 years with 1–5 lifetime female sexual partners for antibodies to HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18. We collected baseline swab specimens for the detection of DNA of HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59 from 3 areas: penile, scrotal, and perineal/perianal. Risk factors for prevalent HPV DNA detection were evaluated.

Results

The prevalence of any tested HPV type was 18.7% at the penis, 13.1% at the scrotum, 7.9% at the perineal/perianal region, and 21.0% at any site. Having >3 lifetime female sexual partners had the greatest impact on HPV prevalence: odds ratio (OR) 3.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1–4.9) for HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18; and OR 4.5 (95% CI 3.3–6.1) for all HPV types tested. HPV DNA detection was highest in Africa. Neither condom usage nor circumcision was associated with HPV DNA prevalence.

Conclusion

Genital-HPV DNA detection is common in young, sexually active HM. We found HPV to be most prevalent in African men and least prevalent in men from the Asia-Pacific region. Increased numbers of sexual partners was an important risk factor for HPV DNA prevalence.

Read the full article.


[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Via IPS Kenya: "More Men Preventing HIV Transmission to their Unborn Children"

From IPS, by Isaiah Esipisu

Pastor Joseph Muhembeli and his wife, Beatrice, queue at the Vihiga health centre with their six-month-old daughter for their prevention of mother-to-child treatment (PMTCT). But before long, as per the clinic’s policy, the couple are whisked to the front of the line – all because Muhembeli has accompanied his wife for the treatment.

The couple tested HIV-positive four years ago. But thanks to the Muhembeli’s involvement with the PMTCT programme, their six-month-old daughter has tested HIV-negative.

"For two years now, we have been encouraging male participation in the prevention of mother-to-child treatment of HIV. And that is why we give special treatment to all men who accompany their wives to either pre- or postnatal clinics," said Martha Opisa, the nurse in charge at the health centre.

Opisa said the Vihiga health centre used to receive about 40 clients a month seeking PMTCT services before men got actively involved in the pre- and postnatal clinics. "But now we now receive between 60 and 70 clients per month, almost doubling the original figure," she said.

Read the rest

Viagra users more likely to have STDs

Via Sify News

Men, who use erectile dysfunction drugs like viagra, are more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases as compared to non-users, revealed a study. The findings indicate that physicians who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs for their male patients should be sure to discuss the importance of safer sex practices, even with older patients. For the study, the researchers analysed insurance records of more than 1.4 million U.S. men over 40.

For the full study click here.

Quarter of Swiss gay men using serosorting, strategic position or withdrawal to reduce their HIV risk

Via Aidsmap

Almost two-thirds of gay and bisexual men consistently use condoms with casual partners as a means of HIV prevention, Swiss investigators report in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.


However, their research showed that 25% of men used strategies such as serosorting, strategic positioning, and withdrawal before ejaculation to try to reduce the risk of HIV transmission when having unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners.
 
For the full article click here.

Nigeria: HIV - Stakeholders Want Prevention to Take Centre Stage

via VANGUARD, by Chinyere Amalu

"If we don't have correct information to prevent the spread of the virus, there is no way the nation could move forward in tackling the scourge. If we do not do something urgent about taking messages of prevention to the rural communities, we are wasting our time", -Prof. John Idoko

The 4-day conference, which was organized by Network for HIV & AIDS Research in Nigeria (NARN) in partnership with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), with support from the United Nations system, the US Government, other developmental partners and civil society organisations believed that if prevention is prioritised, the spread of HIV would be controlled to the barest minimum.

According to Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, "Cultural practices have a fundamental role to play in HIV prevention, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and male involvement in reproductive health services. A number of commonly observed traditional practices are now recognized as being directly responsible for the spread of HIV & AIDS".

 

Read the rest.

Genital Wart Virus may be on the rise in men/The HPV Vaccine solution

Genital Wart Virus May Raise Men's Risk of HIV

via The Body

After controlling for numerous factors -- subsequent circumcision, baseline herpes simplex virus type 2 serostatus, and sexual and demographic risk factors -- the HPV-infected men were still 80 percent more likely to acquire HIV than the men without HPV.

Read the rest.

HPV vaccine now targeted at boys

The controversial Gardasil shot is now 

recommended for males 9-26 years old

via WGNTV.com, by Celeste Ball

Supporters and advocates believe it's now equally as important that boys and men get vaccinated so they can protect their female partners from the virus.

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection nationwide. It is recommend that the Gardasil shot be administered before males or females become sexually active because the vaccine is less effective once someone has already been infected with HPV.
 

Read the rest.

The asspects of anal sex

via UWM Post, by Jon Tingley



Anal penetration used to be a taboo topic. In fact, for some of you, it might still be. What used to be relegated to men playing in bathhouses and Bally’s locker rooms is now a widespread form of sexual intercourse enjoyed by all different sexual orientations and genders.

Many people decide not to participate in anal penetration with their sexual partner or even on their own because of the pain associated. This kind of sexual pleasure actually doesn’t have to be a pillow-biting experience when done correctly. I’m often surprised by my sexually active gay male friends who are still experiencing extreme pain during sexual intercourse even though they have experience. It just goes to show you that even those with apparent sexual know-how can have it wrong sometimes

There are a few things to remember when considering taking it up the butt:

Read the rest.

Men With HPV at Higher Risk for HIV, Study Finds

via Bloomberb Business Week, by Robert Preidt

Preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may be one way to slow the HIV/AIDS epidemic, according to a new study that found that HPV-positive men are at greater risk for HIV infection than those not infected with HPV.

"Developing a vaccine to prevent HIV is the greatest hope for curbing the world's AIDS pandemic, but so far there is no such vaccine. However, there is a vaccine to prevent specific types of HPV infection, and vaccinating young men before they become sexually active could potentially help prevent the spread of HIV." - Jennifer S. Smith

Read the rest.

Anal HPV in hetero men common

via Health24.com

Contrary to what's traditionally been believed, anal infection with the virus that causes genital warts is common in heterosexual men, a new study confirms.

Until recent years, there had been little interest in studying the prevalence of anal infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) in men who have sex exclusively, or primarily, with women -- the belief being that they were unlikely to harbour an anal infection.

However, in the new study, researchers found that among 902 men from the US, Mexico and Brazil, 12% had an anal HPV infection.

All had had sex exclusively with women in recent months, though some said they had had sex with a man in the past -- ranging from 6.5% of the US men to 17% of the Brazilian men.

Read the rest. 

What gay men can teach straights about safe sex

via Salon.com, by Tracy Clark-Flory

Women are skipping the condoms when it comes to, well, the backdoor.

It seems women have a safe sex blind spot when it comes to anal sex, according to a new report by the New York City Health Department. Far fewer women consistently use condoms during anal sex than men who sleep with men; 23 percent and 61 percent, respectively.

It's easy to understand how some women might rationalize condomless anal sex, much like virginity pledges who, conveniently enough, don't count oral or anal sex as sex. If it doesn't "count" as sex sex, and there is no risk of pregnancy, why use protection? But, boy, does it ever count: As the report's press release explains, "past studies suggest that anal exposure to HIV poses 30 times more risk than vaginal exposure." Sadly, the new study finds that women who have anal sex without condoms are less likely to get regular STD tests than women who consistently use protection.

Read the rest.

Few Young Men Counseled on Sexual Health, Study Finds

via TheBody.com

Adolescent males continue to be overlooked by health care providers in terms of reproductive health services, new research shows.

Dr. Arik Marcell, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues compared data from the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males and the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth to determine whether improvements have been made in the delivery of STD/HIV counseling services to male teens. They found that fewer than one-quarter of boys ages 15-19 received STD/HIV counseling by a provider during the previous year, according to the 2002 survey of 1,121 young men. These results represent no significant change from 1995, when a similar proportion received such counseling.

Males who reported three or more female partners, anal sex with female partners, or oral/anal sex with male partners were more likely to have received counseling, with roughly one-third saying they had been counseled about STDs in 2002. A similar proportion of those engaging in risky sex received counseling in 1995, the study found.

However, even fewer young men, less than one-fifth, discussed contraception with a health care provider in 2002. That compares with nearly two-thirds of sexually active young women, according to other surveys.

"The medical system is really set up to serve women and maternal-child health in ways that aren't addressing young men's needs," said Marcell.

The study, "Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infection/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counseling Services Received by Teen Males, 1995-2002," was published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2010; doi:10.1016/j.adohealth.2009.12.002).

Debate on circumcision heightened as CDC evaluates surgery

Critics question the relevance of the African studies, saying that most of the HIV transmission in the United States occurs among drug addicts and gay men, whose risk would be unaffected by whether they were circumcised. They also worry that it will give circumcised men a false sense of security. And they say it permanently diminishes the sexual experience.

via Washington Post, by Rob Stein


Circumcision, long one of the most emotionally charged surgical procedures performed in the United States, has become the focus of yet another intense debate as leading health authorities are about to issue major new evaluations of the potential health benefits of the operation.

The war of words over the procedure has been sparked by a decision by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue recommendations for the first time about whether newborn boys and possibly even adult men should undergo the common surgical procedure, just as the American Academy of Pediatrics is poised to revise its position of not recommending the operation.

Read the rest.

HIV prevention for UK Africans should prioritise work with men

by Roger Pebody, via Aidsmap

Men were less likely than women
to have tested for HIV,
to have diagnosed HIV and

to know where to test for HIV. 

Men, not women, should be prioritised by health promoters working with African communities in England, researchers reported earlier this month. The findings from the latest BASS Line survey suggest that men are more likely than women to report sexual risk behaviours, to have lower levels of knowledge and are less likely to have been tested for HIV.

The researchers also recommend that work with men pays particular attention to the needs of men who have sex with both men and women, and those who only have sex with men. In addition, there are high levels of need among those with limited schooling.

Read the rest.