can oral sex cause cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection. It is associated with condyloma acuminata, anogenital (cervical, vaginal, vulval, penile, anal) squamous intraepithelial lesions and malignancy, and head and neck cancer.

HPV is a small deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) virus and can be classified into high risk and low risk types (Strains).

HPV infection may also play a role in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Like penile and vulvar cancer, oropharyngeal cancers consist of two broad categories of disease:

HPV-associated and non-HPV-associated. HPV-associated oral cancers are primarily found in the oropharynx and base of the tongue and tonsil. HPV has also been linked to cancer of the larynx.

Over53 studies,have shown that men who have sex with men (MSM) had almost 67 chance of contracting the virus and increase the risk of having cancer caused by the virus.