Genital warts in men: a large population-based cross-sectional survey of Danish men

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the occurrence of and risk factors associated with genital warts in Danish men

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study among almost 23 000 men aged 18-45 years, randomly sampled from the general population of Denmark. Data was collected on self-reported clinically diagnosed genital warts, and various lifestyle habits.

RESULTS: Ever having had clinically diagnosed genital warts was reported by 7.9% of the men. The median age at first occurrence was 22 years. Genital warts within the previous 12 months were reported by 0.92% of the men, with a peak of 1.83% among men aged 21-24 years. The likelihood of reporting genital warts was strongly correlated with the lifetime number of sex partners (OR 8.0; 95% CI 6.0 to 10.8 for ≥15 partners vs 1-2 partners). Other factors associated with an increased risk for genital warts included ever having smoked and having had other sexually transmitted infections.

CONCLUSIONS: Almost 8% of Danish men aged 18-45 years reported having had a diagnosis of genital warts. The results provide baseline information for developing and monitoring prevention strategies against genital warts, such as vaccination against human papillomavirus types 6 and 11.