TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Garutti, Paola
AU  -  Montori, Sara
AU  -  Bazzan, Elisa
AU  -  Tarabbia, Cristina
T1  -  Gender differences in the epidemiology and prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-related diseases
PY  -  2018
Y1  -  2018-10-01
DO  -  10.1723/3091.30836
JO  -  The Italian Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine
JA  -  Ital J Gender-Specific Med
VL  -  4
IS  -  4
SP  -  152
EP  -  161
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  2612-3487
Y2  -  2026/05/26
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1723/3091.30836
N2  -  Summary. Human papilloma virus infection is frequent in both sexes. It can be latent, subclinical or clinically apparent and can cause precancerous and cancerous lesions (HPV-related diseases) in cases of persistence. It has a particular tropism for the ano-genital area and for the epithelium of the head and neck, but it has been recently detected in other cutaneous and mucosal sites. HPV studies have mainly focused on women, due to the high spread of cervical cancer, especially in developing countries, and to the fact that the metaplastic cervical transformation zone is the ideal ground for virus replication. However, men are also infected, and scientific findings have clearly shown gender-specific disparities in human susceptibility to viral infection, in the incidence and the evolution of chronic viral diseases and in the prevalence of HPV-related cancers throughout the world. Many biological factors can affect the dimorphic host-virus relationship in both men and women, but cultural factors, lifestyles, social and relational behaviours create a variegated epidemiological tissue-specific profile, with some interesting sex-gender peculiarities. Much is yet to be discovered but the gender perspective should be a strategic goal for medical research, education and for social and health policies. It could lead to the formulation of more adequate prevention programmes, and the ability to treat patients fairly and appropriately with more targeted plans.
ER  -