A study carried out by a North American institution points to oral sex as the main risk factor for throat cancer, ahead of cigarettes and alcohol. Research from Ohio University shows that the papilloma virus (HPV) is the main cause of this type of cancer in people under 50 years of age. Furthermore, those who have had more than six partners are nine times more likely to contract the disease. If you have had any type of infection caused by HPV, your risk increases to 32 times. “With new techniques for identifying viruses in various tissues, the association of the human papillomavirus (HPV) with throat cancer has increasingly been verified”, explained the doctor at Clínica Otorrino de Brasília (CEOL), Caio Athayde , to Jornal de Brasília. There are 200 types of HPV and they can cause skin lesions, only four of which are more common and, therefore, harmful. Most infections are asymptomatic, so many people do not know they have the disease. Therefore, the virus is spread quickly. In Sweden, for example, 25% of cases were related to HPV 40 years ago. Today, it jumped to 90%. “Research points to a new trend in throat cancer,” says the doctor. “Vaccination against HPV and guidance on protected sex are the main guidelines for the general population,” he advises. Recently, the Ministry of Health announced that it will expand HPV vaccination among young people. According to studies, this portion of the population is the most resistant to contracting diseases from HPV when vaccinated correctly, unlike older people, who do not have the same acceptance of the medication. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health will strengthen the importance of vaccination against meningitis.
