Is there Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing available for men?

HPV Testing for Men

There is no clinically validated HPV test for men, and HPV testing is not recommended for men according to current CDC guidelines. 1

Current Recommendations

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explicitly recommends against HPV testing in men for several important reasons:
  • No established screening pathway has been shown to reduce morbidity or mortality in men through early HPV detection 1
  • There is no standardized protocol for using HPV test results to guide clinical management in men 1
  • HPV tests should not be used to screen male partners of women with HPV 1

Rationale Behind the Recommendation

The lack of HPV testing recommendations for men is based on several key factors:

• Most HPV infections in men clear spontaneously without causing health problems 1
• Even if testing were available, a negative result would not rule out HPV infection due to sampling limitations and the transient nature of detectable infection 1
• Within ongoing sexual relationships, both partners are usually infected by the time one person is diagnosed 1
• No HPV test for men has been approved by the FDA 2

Special Populations

While routine HPV testing is not recommended for the general male population, certain high-risk groups may benefit from targeted screening:

• Men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly those who are HIV-positive, may benefit from anal cytology (anal Pap tests) rather than direct HPV testing 1
• HIV-infected men with HPV infection are at increased risk for anal dysplasia and cancer and should have anal Pap tests if they have genital warts 1

Prevention Strategies

Since testing is not recommended, prevention becomes the primary focus:

• HPV vaccination is recommended for males aged 9-21 years, and for those aged 22-26 years if not previously vaccinated 1
• Consistent condom use can lower transmission risk, though it's not fully protective 1
• Limiting sexual partners reduces exposure risk, though HPV is so common that even individuals with only one lifetime partner can be infected 1

Patient Education Points

When discussing HPV with male patients, healthcare providers should emphasize:

• Most sexually active adults will contract HPV at some point, though most never know it because infections are typically asymptomatic 1
• A diagnosis of HPV in one partner is not indicative of sexual infidelity 1
• The limitations of HPV testing in men, including the lack of a clinically validated test 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Attempting to use cervical HPV tests for men - these have not been validated for use in male populations
• Assuming that visible genital warts indicate the presence of high-risk HPV types (most genital warts are caused by low-risk HPV types)
• Failing to recommend HPV vaccination for eligible males, which is an effective prevention strategy

Despite some research suggesting potential benefits of HPV testing in men 3, 4, current guidelines from the CDC remain firm that routine HPV testing in men is not recommended due to lack of validated clinical management protocols and clear evidence of benefit.