Human Papillomavirus Infection and Vaccine Uptake Among Males in the United Arab Emirates and the Wider Middle East and North Africa Region: A Narrative Review.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) worldwide. It is responsible for a significant malignancy burden in both men and women. This is not only limited to its association with cervical cancer in women, but it is an increasingly recognized causative agent in oropharyngeal, anal, and penile carcinomas in men. Despite this, vaccination efforts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have almost solely targeted women, while there is a wide gap in the protection of males. This review discusses the available evidence regarding HPV infection and vaccination among males in the UAE and the wider MENA region. Despite heightened awareness among some populations, such as university students and health trainees, HPV vaccine uptake remains low. Cultural and religious considerations, parental hesitancy, concerns about adverse effects, and widespread misinformation, often driven by social media, are also barriers to vaccination. Physicians are also uncertain about the role of the vaccine in boys, and a majority of national programs have not yet recommended boys. Systemic obstacles, including cost and unequal availability, also restrict access. In the meantime, progress is in sight: the UAE and a few adjacent countries are beginning to roll out HPV vaccination more broadly, and increased interest in rebranding the vaccine as a cancer prevention, as opposed to a sexual health issue, is growing. Closing the current gaps in awareness, access, and policy will be necessary to mitigate the growing burden of HPV disease among women and men across the MENA region.