Homosexuality Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Homosexuality, including details on causes, biology, signs, statistics, trends.

What do gay men know about human papillomavirus? Australian gay men's knowledge and experience of anal cancer screening and human papillomavirus.

Pitts MK, Fox C, Willis J, Anderson J

Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. m.pitts@latrobe.edu.au

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine levels of experience and knowledge concerning anal dysplasia, anal Pap smear tests, and human papillomavirus (HPV) among gay and other homosexually active men. STUDY DESIGN: Three hundred eighty-four men attending a large gay community event in Melbourne completed a short survey. RESULTS: Ninety-two percent identified as gay and 4.8% as bisexual. A total of 6.4% were HIV-positive and a further 3.5% did not know their HIV status. On a range of measures, it was clear that the men knew very little about anal cancer (19% scored zero on a 12-point knowledge scale) and virtually nothing about HPV (47% scored zero on an 8-point knowledge scale). A total of 55.1% had never heard of an anal Pap smear and 44.8% had ever heard of HPV; 56.4% did not know whether it affected men and/or women. CONCLUSIONS: The test for anal dysplasia is still largely unknown among Australian gay men and they currently have poor sense of personal susceptibility to the disease. Health education strategies are suggested to improve this situation.

Published 27 February 2007 in Sex Transm Dis, 34(3): 170-3.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Homosexuality Research Today. All Rights Reserved.