Human papillomavirus (HPV), which can infect the mouth and throat, is one of the biggest risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer. Previous studies have found that having oral sex can increase your likelihood of contracting HPV, as well as HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer. Now, a new study published online at CANCER, a newspaper of the American Cancer Society, concluded that certain oral sex habits can increase your chances of getting cancer more than four times. Keep reading – and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Clear signs that you’ve had the coronavirus.
Those with more partners are more likely to have HPV-related cancer
The study, which involved 163 individuals with and 345 without HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, found that those with more than 10 previous oral sex partners were 4.3 times more likely to have HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer.
They also found that other factors of oral sex affected the likelihood of cancer. Having younger oral sex, more partners in a shorter period (intensity of oral sex), individuals who had older sexual partners when they were young, and those with partners who had extramarital sex were more likely to have HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer.
“Our study showed that relationship dynamics are independently associated with increased cancer risk; this is likely because these aspects of the relationship are more likely to replace HPV exposure,” lead author Virginia Drake, MD, Johns Hopkins Hospital Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, counts Eat this, not that! Cheers. “Having an older sexual partner when a person is young, for example, can represent a relationship in which the older partner is more likely to expose the younger partner to HPV and therefore this captures a risk measure beyond that captured by the number of partners alone. Similarly, the connection we find with extramarital sex suggests that couples who have extramarital sex are more likely to acquire oral HPV than those who are monogamous (as you would expect!) “
Dr. Drake also reveals another surprising finding from the study – the identification of nine study participants without cancer (controls), who have an antibody that is specific to HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (E6). “Although they do not have a cancer diagnosis, research so far suggests that these are markers that can indicate a precursor lesion and can be an indicator of increased risk of cancer,” she explains.
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How to avoid HPV and HPV-related cancers
The best way to prevent HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is to prevent an HPV infection in the first place. “Like all STDs, the risk of infection is related to exposure to new partners who can potentially carry HPV. Our study has no direct clinical implications for prevention or screening, but it does help patients and doctors explain the issue of, ‘why that I developed oropharynx cancer? ‘”Dr. Drake tells us.
One way to prevent it is to get the HPV vaccine, recommended by the CDC for boys and girls from the age of nine. “HPV infections and cervical pre-cancers (abnormal cells in the cervix that can lead to cancer) have dropped significantly since the vaccine began to be used in the United States,” they explain. And to overcome this pandemic in the healthiest way, do not miss these 35 places you’re most likely to reach COVID.