Oral sex is fueling an “epidemic” of throat cancer, surpassing cervical cancer in prevalence in the UK and US, according to experts. Dr. Hisham Mehanna from the University of Birmingham highlights a specific type—oropharyngeal cancer—linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). “Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid increase in throat cancer in the West,” Mehanna noted, with HPV as the primary cause.

HPV, a group of over 100 viruses, usually causes no harm but can lead to genital warts or cancer in some cases, according to the NHS. Mehanna explains, “The main risk factor is the number of partners someone has had oral sex with.” Those with six or more lifetime oral sex partners are 8.5 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer.

Most people clear HPV infections naturally, but a small minority can’t due to immune system defects. “In those patients, the virus replicates continuously, integrating into the host’s DNA and potentially causing cancer,” Mehanna wrote.

Around 80% of UK adults report having had oral sex, yet only a small fraction develop the disease. The NHS reports that throat cancer accounts for about 8,300 diagnoses annually in the UK, with most cases occurring in adults over 55. Fortunately, Mehanna reassures that the majority of HPV infections don’t lead to cancer.