News

A local health orientated website reports that anal cancer rates are higher among people infected with HIV, according to new data published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The highest rates of anal cancer were found in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), but rates of anal cancer among HIV-positive men and women in general were also higher than rates in the general population.

Dr Kevin Rebe, the Specialist Medical Consultant at Ivan Tom’s Health4Men in Cape Town, comments on this article.

Human papillomavirus (also known as HPV or simply genital / anal warts) is the diarrhoea of sexually transmitted infections. It’s the most common of all STIs, yet gets the least press. Nobody wears coloured ribbons in aid of it or makes Oscar-winning movies about its victims. In fact, nobody even likes to talk about it, as I recently discovered at a dinner party when I mentioned that I was being treated for the virus. The conversation spluttered and jerked, then ground to a complete halt. I reckon I would have received a warmer response if I’d admitted that I shagged goats or was converting to Mormonism. 

Everything that you need to know as a health care worker about men who have sex with men (MSM) and how to provide prevention and treatment services is in this pocket sized manual!

The theme for Health4Men’s quarterly responsible sex campaign is sexually transmitted infections. A few facts: