A Silent Epidemic of Cancer Is Spreading Among Men
The study, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that 11 million men and 3.2 million women in the United States had oral HPV infections. Among them, 7 million men and 1.4 million women had strains that can cause cancers of the throat, tongue and other areas of the head and neck.
The risk of infection was higher for smokers, for people who have had multiple sex partners, and for men who have sex with men. Frequent oral sex also increased the risk. The rate was higher among men who also had genital HPV. (Almost half of men aged 18 to 60 have a genital HPV infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Neither age nor income made a difference in high-risk oral infection rate. HPV vaccination is recommended starting at age 11 or 12 and is effective, said the senior author, Ashish A. Deshmukh, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, and “it’s crucial that parents vaccinate boys as well as girls.”The lead author, Kalyani Sonawane, also at the University of Florida, said that behavioral change is important, too, particularly smoking cessation. “The difference in oral HPV infection between smokers and nonsmokers is staggering. Having oral sex with multiple partners significantly increases risk of head and neck cancer in men, study finds.
Head and neck cancer is predicted to overtake cervical cancer in the USA by 2020. Though there are more than 100 kinds of HPV, the danger focuses on three specific kinds: HPV 16 or 18, which trigger cervical cancer, and HPV 16 which triggers oropharyngeal cancer. Not having sex is the only way to prevent HPV. Since HPV is so common, Using condoms correctly each time you have sex reduces the risk of getting sexually transmitted infections, and might offer some protection against HPV. Keep in mind that skin in the anal/genital area not covered by a condom can still be affected.
STD Rates in the U.S. Rise for the Third Straight Year, nearly 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STD s) in the U.S. each year.
Get Tested! Take charge of your sex life today. Help stop the spread of STDs by knowing your status.
ZENA GALLERY 