South Africa Excludes Boys from HPV Vaccination Despite Rising Male Cancer Risks

South Africa currently limits its government-funded human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program to girls aged nine to fourteen, leaving boys unprotected against serious health risks. While the strategy aims to achieve herd immunity and prevent cervical cancer in women, it overlooks significant dangers men face, including throat, anal, and penile cancers, as well as reduced fertility. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that often presents no symptoms in men, leading to late detection of related cancers due to the absence of routine screening protocols for males in the public health sector. The article highlights that HPV-16 is responsible for most genital and oral cancers in both genders. With rising global rates of HPV-driven cancers in men, particularly among those living with HIV, experts argue that excluding boys from immunization programs creates dangerous gaps in protection. Although the World Health Organization prioritizes female vaccination for resource efficiency, evidence suggests that vaccinating boys is crucial for comprehensive disease prevention, especially as viruses mutate and herd immunity proves insufficient.