HPV infection was significantly higher in men who were single. – The Lancet (1)

Oral HPV “cancer is increasing, especially among men” according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute (1).

“There are more than 100 types of HPV and this study tested for 37 in the oral cavity – 13 of which are known to cause cancer (TheStar.com, August 5, 2013)(2).” Out of the 13 that cause cancer, they found that HPV 16 was the most common virus infecting the single men in the study (1).

As the study suggested, the reason for increased risk is the multiple sexual partners of single men. More sexual partners means higher risk.

WebMD notes that “Men are at increased risk for oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection if their female sex partners have oral and/or genital HPV infections” … and …

“The more often men performed oral sex on their partner, the more likely they were to be infected with the type of HPV present in the genitals of that partner.” (3)

“Understanding how HPV is transmitted is important because it will help us identify who is most at risk for HPV infection and how we can help them protect themselves and their partners” –  Eduardo Franco, director of the division of cancer epidemiology and chairman of the department of oncology at McGill University in Montreal.

The bottom line?

Men need to be careful when it comes to their sexual behavior. The number of sexual partners they have has a direct bearing on their overall health.