Abstract
The prevalence and impact of HPV infection among Chinese males have not been comprehensively explored. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate the prevalence of HPV infection among Chinese males diagnosed with HPV-related diseases. A systematic search was conducted across multiple electronic databases from inception to June 2023. Studies reporting the prevalence of HPV infection among Chinese males diagnosed with diseases potentially associated with HPV, without requiring sample type documentation, were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of HPV infection. Among 105 studies on genital warts, the pooled prevalence was 81.25% for any HPV type, with 55.84% for low-risk (LR) genotypes and 20.11% for high-risk (HR) genotypes. Single infections (53.93%) were most common, with HPV 6 and 11 being the most prevalent. Among the LR genotypes, the prevalence was 73.76% for HPV 6 or 11. The most prevalent HR genotypes were HPV 16, 52, 58, 18, and 51. Among 102 studies on cancers, the prevalence was 10.83%, 28.97%, 28.14%, 19.50%, and 45.01% for oropharyngeal cancer, oral cancer, tonsil cancer, laryngeal cancer, and penile cancer, respectively. For anal cancer, one study reported 87.5% were HPV-positive. This study highlights the prevalence of HPV genotypes 6, 11, 16, 18, 52, and 58 in males with genital warts, and the prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 in males with cancers in which HPV has been detected. Future investment in resources focused on male is needed.