Mouth and throat Cancer HPV transmission during oral sex
                     Mouth and throat Cancer: HPV transmission during oral sex - Knowmorehpv
Mouth and throat Cancer: HPV transmission during oral sex
HPV is known to be one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Of the more than 
100 different HPV kinds, roughly 40 can be transmitted to the mouth, throat, and genital 
regions by direct sexual contact. Oral sex is one of the possible ways that oral HPV is spread to 
the mouth. Oral HPV infection is a common occurrence in everyday life. Oral HPV infection is 
more prevalent as people become older; about 10% of males and 3.6% of women have it. 
Most people recover from HPV within one to two years. However, some people continue to 
have the virus. Certain strains of HPV cause cancer of the oropharynx, and this is called 
oropharyngeal cancer.
What types of cancer can be caused by HPV?
Considering there are over 100 different types of HPV strains and around 0 can be transmitted to the mouth 
and other parts of the body, HPV is responsible for causing different types of cancer. The different types of 
cancer that HPV can cause are:
• Cervical
• Penile
• Anal
• Vaginal
• Vulvar
• Oropharyngeal
Symptoms of Oral HPV
As oral HPV has no symptoms, it might be difficult for individuals to realize that they have acquired the 
infection till the time he/she sees symptoms of oropharyngeal cancer. Not all strains of HPV develop into 
oropharyngeal cancer. HPV 16 is the HPV strain that is known to be primarily responsible for causing 
oropharyngeal cancer. Oral HPV can lead to the development of cancer cells in your throat, including 
tonsils, tongue, and pharynx walls. Early symptoms of oral HPV include:
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Constant earaches
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blood while coughing
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Hoarseness
• Painful throat
The risk factors for oral HPV?
Mouth-to-mouth contact or oral intimacy is the main cause of oral HPV infection. Other identified 
risk factors HPV include:
• Smoking: Smoking increases your risk of developing oral HPV by causing wounds and tears within your mouth.
• Multiple relationships: Having multiple partners during your life greatly increases your risk of contracting oral 
HPV.
• Not taking precautions when engaging in sexual activity: You must take precautions to safeguard yourself from 
all types of HPV.
• According to studies, men have a higher chance of developing oral HPV.
How to reduce your chances of acquiring the HPV infection
As HPV is mainly asymptomatic, you or your partner might not know when you have acquired HPV. 
However, HPV infection can spread even when you don’t have visible symptoms. Hence, you must protect 
yourself from acquiring HPV in all possible ways. Some of the possible ways how you can reduce your risk 
of getting the HPV infection:
• Avoid tobacco, alcohol, or any other illicit drug use
• Maintain a healthy, nutritional diet to have a strong immune system
• Use condoms and dental dams during sexual intercourse to ensure the practice of safe sex
• Get vaccinated against HPV
• Limit the number of sex partners
Oral HPV Treatment:
There is no cure for HPV, not even for oral infections. HPV normally goes away on its own, though. In fact, 
90% of HPV infections resolve naturally after 2 years. However, getting vaccinated against the HPV 
infection is better to be on the safer side, as the HPV vaccine protects individuals from several other HPV 
strains that might cause cancer. 
Conclusion:
Although oral and genital HPV infections are highly prevalent, they typically fade away without negatively 
affecting health. Nevertheless, under 45-year-olds should still obtain the HPV vaccine, which prevents 
nearly all incidences of cervical cancer, and practise safer sex habits at all times to prevent contracting an 
infection even more severe than HPV.
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