Short Bites: One in Nine American Men are Infected with Oral HPV

According to a new study published in the Journal Annals of Internal Medicine, one in nine American men is infected with the oral form of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Nationwide, rates of oral HPV infection are 11.5% of men vs. 3.2% women. HPV 16, the most common type of high-risk HPV and known to contribute to head and neck cancers, was six times higher in men than women. The rate of oropharyngeal cancer among men has risen more than 300 percent in the last 40 years. Men who have had multiple sex partners, men who reported having sex with men, and men with genital HPV infections were found to have the highest rates of oral HPV.

A comprehensive review of this new study and other oral HPV information will be presented in a follow-up article in the future.