7% Of Americans Have Oral HPV

Featured Article
Academic Journal
Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 26 Jan 2012 - 9:00 PST

Current ratings for:
7% Of Americans Have Oral HPV

Patient / Public:3 and a half stars

3.07 (14 votes)

Healthcare Prof:not yet rated


A study published online in JAMA on Thursday suggests 7% of men and women in the US carry the Human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes a distinct form of cancer that affects the part of the throat that sits at the back of the mouth. The study suggests oral HPV infection is predominantly sexually transmitted, and estimates that men are nearly three times more likely to have the virus than women.

Maura L. Gillison, Professor in the College of Medicine at Ohio State University (OSU), and others carried out the study.

They note in their introduction that we already know oral HPV infection causes a subset of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) and that these are linked to sexual behavior. (Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas not caused by HPV are linked to chronic use of tobacco and alcohol).

Also, there is evidence that this type of cancer is on the rise in men in the US, but what is not so clear is how common HPV is in the American population.

So Gillison and colleagues set out to measure the prevalence of HPV among men and women in the US.

They drew their data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010, which via mobile centers, samples representative cross-sections of the US population (excluding those serving in the armed forces and who are in institutions).

The data covered 5,579 men and women aged 14 to 69, who gave an oral sample (a 30-second oral rinse and gargle with mouthwash). They also gave demographic information via interviews that included questions about sexual behavior and substance use.

The oral samples were tested (using polymerase chain reaction or PCR) to see if they contained any HPV DNA.

The results showed that: The authors conclude:

"Among men and women aged 14 to 69 years in the United States, the overall prevalence of oral HPV infection was 6.9%, and the prevalence was higher among men than among women."

"Our data provides evidence that oral HPV infection is predominantly sexually transmitted," they note.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our cervical cancer / hpv vaccine section for the latest news on this subject.
"Prevalence of Oral HPV Infection in the United States, 2009-2010"; Maura L. Gillison, Tatevik Broutian, Robert K. L. Pickard, Zhen-you Tong, Weihong Xiao, Lisa Kahle, Barry I. Graubard, and Anil K. Chaturvedi; JAMA, Published online 26 January 26 2012; DOI:10.1001/jama.2012.101; Link to Article.
Additional source: CDC
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
Paddock, Catharine. "7% Of Americans Have Oral HPV." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 26 Jan. 2012. Web.
24 May. 2013. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240816.php>

APA
Paddock, C. (2012, January 26). "7% Of Americans Have Oral HPV." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240816.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.



Add Your Opinion On This Article

'7% Of Americans Have Oral HPV'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Your Name:*
E-mail Address:*
Your Opinion Title:*
Opinion:*
This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*

* Fields marked with a * need to be filled in before you hit the submit button.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.


Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Cervical Cancer News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »