Genital Warts Among Men Attending a Dermatology Clinic: Risk Factors and Knowledge

Abstract

: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, with the highest prevalence among young adults. We investigated the risk factors of this infection among men. A total of 224 men referred to a dermatology clinic in Shiraz to treat anogenital warts from June 2015 till Feb 2016 were enrolled. Data collection form included demographic characteristics and risk factors. The participants’ mean age was 28.84 ± 8 years, and half of them (54.5%) were in the second decade of their life. Nearly half of them were single, 110 (49.1%), and 103 had high education (48.4%). Among our participants, the mean age of sexual relationship onset was 20.31 ± 3.71; 69 (60.5%) of the married participants had experienced sexual intercourse before marriage, and 58 (61.05%) had extramarital sexual relationships. The mean number of sex partners was 2.8. More than half of the participants (n = 146, 66.4%) were not aware of STI symptoms. Our participants were young, and more than half of the married ones had extramarital relationships. Altogether, low awareness of STI symptoms was seen. HPV could be a public health challenge in our young male adults because of their risk factors and lack of knowledge.