Effectiveness of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Against Penile HPV Infection in Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women

Penile quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine-type HPV prevalence was lower among young men who have sex with men (MSM) self-reporting HPV vaccination at age <= 18 years than among MSM with no or unknown vaccination. Results suggest that HPV vaccination is effective against penile HPV infections when administered to MSM aged <= 18 years. Background In the United States, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been recommended since 2011 for boys aged 11-12 years, with catch-up vaccination recommended through age 26 years for previously unvaccinated men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods During 2016-2018, a cross-sectional study enrolled MSM and transgender women aged 18-26 years in Seattle, Washington. Participants submitted self-collected penile swab specimens for HPV genotyping. HPV vaccination history was self-reported. We compared HPV prevalence among vaccinated participants with that in participants with no or unknown vaccination history, using log-binomial regression to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios and confidence intervals. Results Among 687 participants, 348 (50.7%) self-reported ever receiving >= 1 HPV vaccine dose; the median age at first HPV vaccination was 21 years, and the median age at first sex, 17 years. Overall, the prevalence of penile quadrivalent HPV vaccine (4vHPV)-type HPV was similar in vaccinated participants (12.1%) and participants with no or unknown vaccination (15.6%) (adjusted prevalence ratio, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, .47-1.01]). However, the prevalence was significantly lower in participants vaccinated at age <= 18 years than in those with no of unknown vaccination (0.15 [.04-.62]), corresponding to a vaccine effectiveness of 85% against 4vHPV-type HPV. Conclusions Results suggest that HPV vaccination is effective in preventing penile HPV infections in young MSM when administered at age <= 18 years.