A new study has revealed that men are four times more likely to get cancer from oral sex than women due to their weaker immune systems.
According to Dr Ashish Deshmukh, from the University of Florida, infected men struggle to rid their bodies of the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes them to harbour the pathogen for a long time and raises their disease risk. Previous research also suggests men may be more willing to perform oral sex due to sexual norms and having fewer inhibitions between the sheets.
HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the US and can cause cancer of the penis in men, while women are at risk of developing the condition in the vulva, vagina or cervix. The infection can also cause cancer of the anus or throat in both sexes.
Around 79 million people in the US are infected with HPV, which is most commonly spread by vaginal or anal sex. Up to four in five people in the UK develop the infection at some point in their lives.
In the US, vaccinations against the infection are recommended for all boy and girls aged 11 to 12. In the UK, only girls are vaccinated from 12 years old. Controversially, certain girls report being left wheelchair bound and paralysed after having the jab, however, global health officials have repeatedly said they are safe.
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