Prevalence and genotype distribution characteristics of human papillomavirus infection among male outpatients in Putian, Fujian Province: a retrospective study

Previous research focusing on male human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence within Putian has not yet been reported. This study aims to investigate the epidemiological prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV among males in the Putian region of Fujian Province, providing empirical evidence to optimize male HPV screening and regional prevention strategies. A total of 731 male outpatients from the First Hospital of Putian city were retrospectively enrolled between May 2023 and February 2026. The enrolled patients were stratified into six subgroups according to their primary clinical diagnoses, including warts, urinary tract infections (UTIs), dermatitis, genital diseases, health check-ups, and others. The detection of 21 HPV genotypes was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification combined with flow-through hybridization technology. The overall HPV prevalence was 35.2%, including 22.7% single-genotype infections and 12.5% multiple-genotype infections, with the highest observed prevalence in patients aged > 60 years. The five most frequent genotypes were HPV6, HPV52, HPV16, HPV51, and HPV42, showing substantial overlap with the predominant genotypes previously reported in local females, including low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) types HPV6, HPV42 and high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types HPV52, HPV51, and HPV16. Furthermore, HPV prevalence varied significantly across distinct clinical diagnoses ( p = 0.019); the “warts” group exhibited the highest rate (48.7%, predominantly HPV6/11), followed by the dermatitis group (46.5%, displaying high genotype diversity including HPV52, 16, 42, 51, and 59). Multivariable regression analysis identified dermatitis as an independent risk factor for HR-HPV infection. Notably, even with the 9-valent (9 v) HPV vaccine, substantial coverage gaps of 33.5% and 33.9% persisted among the overall HPV-positive and HR-HPV cohorts, respectively. Male outpatients in the Putian region exhibit a high HPV prevalence with distinct age- and disease-specific genotype distributions. The substantial overlap in predominant HPV genotypes between male outpatients and local females highlights the importance of including men in HPV prevention strategies. This finding may support future evaluation of partner-oriented prevention approaches.