Health: New Study Shows 16 Million Americans Have Oral HPV

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Sixteen million Americans—or seven percent—have oral human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cancer, according to a first of its kind study published by the American Medical Association.

The numbers are surprisingly high, and doctors say the trouble is that most people don’t know they have it because there are no symptoms, which could be why HPV appears to be spreading so quickly.

“The title I’ve put on it is ‘Hazard of Intimacy,’” said Dr. Hans Schlecht, an infectious disease specialist at Drexel University College of Medicine, who wrote an editorial on the new research. He says the oral HPV virus can be caused by smoking and drinking, but it’s more commonly linked to sexual activity, especially among younger people.

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