Medical anthropology, AnthroConsult, Fynsgade 24, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
BMC Public Health. 2010 Mar 7;10:113. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-113.
Genital warts, which are caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in Europe. Although genital warts are commonly perceived as a non-serious condition, treatment is often long, of varying effectiveness and the recurrence rate is high. Very few studies have been performed on the personal consequences of genital warts. The aim of this qualitative study, set in Denmark, was to examine the ways in which genital warts may affect patients' quality of life.
To obtain an in-depth understanding of patients' perceptions of genital warts, we used qualitative focus-group interviews with five men and five women aged between 18 and 30 years who had genital warts. The interview guide was based on a literature review that identified important issues and questions. The data were analysed using a medical anthropological approach.
Patients' experiences were related to cultural conceptions of venereal diseases and the respective identities and sexuality of the sexes. The disease had negative psychological and social effects both for men and for women and it affected their sex and love lives, in particular. The psychological burden of the disease was increased by the uncertain timeline and the varying effectiveness of treatment. We identified a need for more patient information about the disease and its psycho-sexual aspects.
The men and women participating in this study considered their quality of life to be significantly lowered because of genital warts. The experiences described by the participants give insights that may be valuable in treatment and counselling.The quadrivalent HPV vaccine that has now been added to the childhood vaccination programme for girls in Denmark for the prevention of cervical cancer can also prevent 90% of cases of genital warts. Our results suggest that HPV vaccination could considerably reduce the largely unacknowledged psychological and social burden associated with genital warts, in men as well as women.
生殖器疣是由人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）感染引起的，是欧洲最常见的性传播疾病之一。尽管生殖器疣通常被认为是一种不严重的疾病，但治疗往往时间长、效果不一，且复发率高。关于生殖器疣的个人后果，很少有研究进行过。本项在丹麦进行的定性研究旨在探讨生殖器疣可能对患者生活质量产生的影响。
为了深入了解患者对生殖器疣的看法，我们对 5 名年龄在 18 至 30 岁之间的男性和 5 名女性进行了定性焦点小组访谈，这些患者患有生殖器疣。访谈指南基于文献综述，确定了重要的问题和问题。使用医学人类学方法分析数据。
患者的经历与性病的文化观念以及性别的身份和性观念有关。该疾病对男性和女性都有负面的心理和社会影响，尤其是对他们的性生活产生影响。疾病的心理负担因治疗时间不确定和效果不一而增加。我们发现需要为患者提供更多有关该疾病及其心理方面的信息。
参加本研究的男性和女性认为他们的生活质量因生殖器疣而明显下降。参与者描述的经验可以为治疗和咨询提供有价值的见解。现在，丹麦已将四价 HPV 疫苗纳入女童的儿童疫苗接种计划，用于预防宫颈癌，也可以预防 90%的生殖器疣病例。我们的结果表明，HPV 疫苗接种可以大大减轻与生殖器疣相关的在很大程度上未被认识到的心理和社会负担，无论在男性还是女性中。
