Sexually active men with more partners have higher risks of head, neck cancers due to oral sex

Because of the human papillomavirus (HPV), often transmitted through oral sex, sexually active men are at a higher risk of having neck and head cancers, says a new study by the Advancement of Science American Association. At the highest risk are middle-aged white men with a large number of sex partners.

Almost two-thirds of oral cancers in the US and other industrialised nations are because of the HPV 16 strain infection, says Gypsyamber D’Souza, professor of epidemiology at the John Hopkins University I Baltimore, Maryland. D’Souza adds the risk for oral HPV goes up as the number of oral sex partner that men have increases, but the case does not apply on women.

It’s not just because 90 percent of sexually active men and 80 percent of sexually active women have the HPV, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rather, when women are first exposed to HPV vaginally through oral sex, “their body builds up an immune response that provides better protection,” explains D’Souza.

While men lack that same immune response, in most cases, HPV disappears over time on its own before causing health problems. But it could also lead to genital warts and certain cancers, warns the CDC.

However, D’Souza continues, “Or research shows that once you become infected, men are less likely to clear this infection than women, further contributing to the cancer risk.” The study, published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the risk of head and neck cancer goes up 22 percent due to oral sex, reports Daily Mail.