Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting both men and women. However, in Serbia, the previous epidemiological and clinical research on HPV has primarily focused on women due to its established role in cervical cancer, while the data on HPV preva...

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Main Authors: Gordana Kovačević, Vladimir Vuković, Nataša Nikolić, Branka Bašica, Jelena Radovanov, Aleksandra Čolović Popadić, Milica Pejaković Budinski, Tihomir Dugandžija, Zoran Golušin, Aleksandra Patić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Pathogens
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/558
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author Gordana Kovačević
Vladimir Vuković
Nataša Nikolić
Branka Bašica
Jelena Radovanov
Aleksandra Čolović Popadić
Milica Pejaković Budinski
Tihomir Dugandžija
Zoran Golušin
Aleksandra Patić
author_facet Gordana Kovačević
Vladimir Vuković
Nataša Nikolić
Branka Bašica
Jelena Radovanov
Aleksandra Čolović Popadić
Milica Pejaković Budinski
Tihomir Dugandžija
Zoran Golušin
Aleksandra Patić
author_sort Gordana Kovačević
collection DOAJ
description Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting both men and women. However, in Serbia, the previous epidemiological and clinical research on HPV has primarily focused on women due to its established role in cervical cancer, while the data on HPV prevalence in men remain scarce. This study analyzed 634 samples from men (mean age: 30 years, SD = 9.98; range: 18–79) from between 2012 and 2024. Overall, 30.76% of the tested men were HPV–positive, with the highest percentage of cases being observed in those aged 25–29 years (32.82%). The most common genotypes were HPV 16 and HPV 31 (22.05% each), followed by HPV6 (20.51%), HPV 56, and HPV 52 (9.23% each). The prevalence of HPV was the highest in the samples from men with genital warts (40.77%). Among the available vaccines, the nonavalent Gardasil 9 provides the broadest protection, covering genotypes found in 82% of the HPV–positive cases identified in this study. Our findings underscore the importance of comprehensive HPV prevention and control measures for the male population, contributing to ongoing research efforts aimed at reducing the burden of HPV–associated diseases in our region. Increasing the vaccination coverage among Serbian men could substantially reduce the overall burden of HPV–related diseases in both sexes.
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spelling doaj-art-1f5b2fa028ce4627802550fbc14f2d162025-08-20T03:29:51ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-06-0114655810.3390/pathogens14060558Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern SerbiaGordana Kovačević0Vladimir Vuković1Nataša Nikolić2Branka Bašica3Jelena Radovanov4Aleksandra Čolović Popadić5Milica Pejaković Budinski6Tihomir Dugandžija7Zoran Golušin8Aleksandra Patić9Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting both men and women. However, in Serbia, the previous epidemiological and clinical research on HPV has primarily focused on women due to its established role in cervical cancer, while the data on HPV prevalence in men remain scarce. This study analyzed 634 samples from men (mean age: 30 years, SD = 9.98; range: 18–79) from between 2012 and 2024. Overall, 30.76% of the tested men were HPV–positive, with the highest percentage of cases being observed in those aged 25–29 years (32.82%). The most common genotypes were HPV 16 and HPV 31 (22.05% each), followed by HPV6 (20.51%), HPV 56, and HPV 52 (9.23% each). The prevalence of HPV was the highest in the samples from men with genital warts (40.77%). Among the available vaccines, the nonavalent Gardasil 9 provides the broadest protection, covering genotypes found in 82% of the HPV–positive cases identified in this study. Our findings underscore the importance of comprehensive HPV prevention and control measures for the male population, contributing to ongoing research efforts aimed at reducing the burden of HPV–associated diseases in our region. Increasing the vaccination coverage among Serbian men could substantially reduce the overall burden of HPV–related diseases in both sexes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/558human papillomavirusmenhigh-risk HPVlow-risk HPVvaccination
spellingShingle Gordana Kovačević
Vladimir Vuković
Nataša Nikolić
Branka Bašica
Jelena Radovanov
Aleksandra Čolović Popadić
Milica Pejaković Budinski
Tihomir Dugandžija
Zoran Golušin
Aleksandra Patić
Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia
Pathogens
human papillomavirus
men
high-risk HPV
low-risk HPV
vaccination
title Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia
title_full Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia
title_fullStr Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia
title_full_unstemmed Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia
title_short Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Urogenital Swabs from Male Patients in Northern Serbia
title_sort detection of human papillomavirus in urogenital swabs from male patients in northern serbia
topic human papillomavirus
men
high-risk HPV
low-risk HPV
vaccination
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/558
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