Men are far more likely to have the sexually transmitted human
papillomavirus (HPV) in their mouths than women, the Daily Mail
has reported. The Mail has outlined research into the prevalence
of HPV, which is a risk factor mouth cancer and other cancers.
Researchers found that HPV was more commonly found in people who
engaged in all kinds of sexual activity – including vaginal,
anal and oral. The Mail reports that the researchers suggest
that HPV vaccination for men needs investigating to see whether
it could help stop oral HPV and, potentially, oral cancer. Mouth
cancer has risen more than 20% in the past 30 years. Tobacco use
and prolonged, heavy alcohol drinking are the biggest risk
factors, but the presence of oral HPV is also a clear risk
factor for the disease. The latest research set out to estimate
the proportion of people infected with oral HPV in the United
States, and any factors associated with infection. It found that
approximately 7% of the US population aged 14 to 69 years were
infected with th