Say HPV in India - to the rare person who has heard of it - and they think of cervical cancer. That is fair. The link is well established. But it is also incomplete. HPV does not stop at the cervix, and treating it as if it does leaves millions of people without the information they need.
HPV is now the leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer - cancer of the back of the throat, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils. These cancers are rising globally. In India, where existing oral health risks from tobacco, paan, and gutka are already high, HPV adds a layer that almost nobody is discussing.
Ruk ke socho: A virus transmitted through oral sex is causing throat cancers. Yet our health education does not mention either the virus or the route. That is a dangerous gap.
This affects men as much as women, possibly more, because men are virtually never screened for HPV, never counselled about it, and rarely told that it is relevant to them. There is no approved HPV screening test for men. No routine check. No annual reminder. A man can carry high-risk HPV for years, transmit it to partners, and develop throat or penile cancer without ever knowing the cause was a virus he had never heard of.
If that sounds unfair, it is. The awareness gap regarding HPV among men is not a crack - it is a canyon.
Sochne wali baat: We vaccinate girls to protect them, but we do not vaccinate boys to protect them. Yet the virus does not share our gender bias.
Genital warts are another reality. Caused by low-risk strains - mainly HPV 6 and 11 - they are not dangerous but are uncomfortable, distressing, and recurrent. In India, people with genital warts seldom seek treatment because stigma keeps them silent. They suffer in silence, avoid intimacy, and carry unnecessary shame about a condition that is manageable, common, and says nothing about their character.
The LGBTQ+ community faces compounded risks that India's health system barely acknowledges. Anal HPV infections and anal cancers disproportionately affect men who have sex with men. Trans individuals face barriers at every level - from finding a doctor who does not humiliate them to accessing screening that recognises their anatomy. The assumption that HPV is a heterosexual married woman's concern leaves entire populations invisible.
Think about this: A public health strategy that protects only some people is not a strategy. It is a selection.
A Word for Parents
If you have a son, the HPV vaccine is relevant to him too. Throat cancers linked to HPV are rising among young men. Genital warts affect men. Vaccinating boys protects not only them but also every partner they will ever have. This is not a daughters-only issue. Talk to your doctor about vaccinating your son as well.
Ask yourself: If the same vaccine protects your son from cancer and his future partner too - what exactly is the argument against it?
TSSF team is eager to hear from you - write to us at info@sunitisolomon.org or call us at 044-28363200.
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