FSRH press statement: FSRH urges DHSC to act on committee’s recommendation to vaccinate boys against HPV

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) strongly welcomes the announcement, by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to recommend the extension of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme to boys. Currently, only girls can get the HPV vaccine free from the NHS from the age of 12 up to their 18th birthday. The recommendation comes after years of concerted efforts by organisations, including FSRH, to make the case for gender-neutral HPV vaccination.

Dr Asha Kasliwal, President of the FSRH, said:

“FSRH supports boys’ and men’s right to access high-quality SRH services and live a life free of sexually-transmitted infections such as HPV. I am pleased to hear that the JCVI has concluded that boys should also be vaccinated against HPV.

HPV affects not only women, but also men. Cervical cancer does not affect males, but other HPV-related cancers can affect men, such as cancer of the anus, penis, mouth and throat.

HPV Action, a collaborative partnership of 50 patient and professional organisations, including FSRH, estimates that each year in the UK around 2,000 men develop a cancer caused by HPV and over 40,000 develop genital warts.

We now urge the Department of Health and Social Care to act on JCVI’s recommendation and extend the HPV vaccination programme to boys."

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Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, 27 Sussex Place, London NW1 4RG. Charity No. 1019969.

Notes to editors:

• The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) is the largest UK professional membership organisation working at the heart of sexual and reproductive health (SRH), supporting healthcare professionals to deliver high quality care. It works with its 15,000 members, to shape sexual reproductive health for all. It produces evidence-based clinical guidance, standards, training, qualifications and research into SRH. It also delivers conferences and publishes the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health in partnership with the BMJ.

• HPV Action: HPV Action (HPVA) is a collaborative partnership of 47 patient and professional organisations, including FSRH, that is working to reduce the health burden of HPV. To achieve this, HPVA delivers an advocacy campaign that aims to achieve gender-neutral HPV vaccination. This means that all boys and girls will be routinely offered vaccination against HPV at the age of 12/13. The vaccination of boys as well as girls is supported not only by the 47 organisations that are part of HPV Action but also by the BMA, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and a wide range of clinicians and academics. For more information please visit: http://www.hpvaction.org

• The JCVI statement can be found here.

For further information please contact:
Camila Azevedo
FSRH External Affairs & Standards Officer
Email: externalaffairsofficer@fsrh.org
Telephone: 02037945309