Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) is the primary risk factor for anal cancer. Of 105 Peruvian MSM examined, 77.1% were infected with HPV; of these 79.0% were coinfected with two or more types and 47.3% were infected by a carcinogenic type. HPV types 53, 6, 16, and 58 were the most frequent HPV infections detected. High-risk HPV type infection was associated with sex work, HIV status, and having rectal chlamydial or gonorrheal infection. These findings support broadening HPV vaccine coverage and increasing surveillance for the development of cancer in MSM infected with HPV.

Policy leaders and public health experts may be overlooking effective ways to stimulate innovative antibiotic research and development. I analyzed archival resources concerning the US government's efforts to produce penicillin during World War II, which demonstrate how much science policy can differ from present approaches. By contrast to current attempts to invigorate commercial participation in antibiotic development, the effort to develop the first commercially produced antibiotic did not rely on economic enticements or the further privatization of scientific resources. Rather, this extremely successful scientific and, ultimately, commercial endeavor was rooted in government stewardship, intraindustry cooperation, and the open exchange of scientific information. For policymakers facing the problem of stimulating antibiotic research and development, the origins of the antibiotic era offer a template for effective policy solutions that concentrate primarily on scientific rather than commercial goals.

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