Mouth cancer from HPV virus reaches all-time high

The British Dental Health Foundation is insisting that the government include boys among the recipients of the HPV vaccinations. The foundation cites the record high in mouth cancer, affecting more men than women.

Mouth cancer is at an all-time high in the United Kingdom, and one of the likeliest culprits for the dangerous surge is the sexually-transmitted HPV virus. Additionally, mouth cancer affects more men than women - and these statistics are driving the British Dental Health Foundation to question the UK government on including boys among the recipients of the HPV vaccination that is currently administered only to girls. "The cancer virus is transmitted through oral sex, and is thought to contribute to the doubling of mouth cancers." Dentistry Magazine reported on Friday. HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted virus - and one of the most dangerous, as it exists in its hosts without symptoms for years, and many strains of HPV progress into full-blown cancers of the cervix, mouth, anus, vagina, and penis. The British Dental Health Foundation is responding to a large-scale study of 46,000 mouth cancer cases in the United States. The study found that the number of deaths from sexually-transmitted HPV virus has increased by 33 percent over the past 30 years - and is now at its highest point. "It is admirable that the government is taking such positive steps to reduce the number of cervical cancer cases for the women of the future but, with mouth cancer killing more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined, it is clear that this little-known condition also needs to be addressed," Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation said, according to Dentistry Magazine. "By expanding its HPV vaccination programme to include boys as well as girls, the government would be able to address the problem of rising HPV-related mouth cancer deaths in a simple, fair and effective manner," Dr. Carter said. Mouth cancer kills one person every five hours in the UK and is most commonly caused by alcohol and tobacco consumption - as well as through HPV viral infections.