Potential effectiveness of prophylactic HPV immunization for men who have sex with men in the Netherlands: A multi-model approach

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for anal cancer, primarily related to human papillomavirus genotype 16 (HPV16) infections. At 8.5 per 100,000 per year, the incidence rate of anal cancer among MSM is similar to that of cervical cancer among adult women in the Netherlands. However, MSM are not included in most HPV vaccination programs. We explored the potential effectiveness of prophylactic immunization in reducing anogenital HPV16 transmission among MSM in the Netherlands. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed a range of mathematical models for penile-anal HPV16 transm... Mehr ...