HPV-Linked Oral Cancers May Not Be 'Contagious'
Kissing doesn't seem to raise rate of viral infection between committed partners, study finds
TUESDAY, April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Romantic intimacy in long-term relationships often suffers when one partner gets a diagnosis of mouth or throat cancer caused by HPV, the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. But new research suggests these couples can kiss as much and as deeply as they ever have, without worry.
Spouses and long-term partners of patients with HPV-related oral cancers appear to have no increased risk of oral HPV infections, according to the results of a new study led by Johns Hopkins investigators.
Saliva samples taken from the partners of oral cancer patients did not contain elevated levels of HPV DNA, the researchers reported online April 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The prevalence of HPV among spouses and partners -- about 1.2 percent -- is comparable to the 1.3 percent prevalence of HPV among the general population of the same age, the researchers found.
Experts welcomed the findings.
"This study does put the risk in perspective. It's not something you need to freak out about, or substantially alter your lifestyle. You can still smooch your sweetie," said Fred Wyand, spokesman for the American Sexual Health Association.
HPV-related oral cancers are increasing among white men in the United States, with the virus now associated with nearly three out of four cases of oropharyngeal cancer, according to a 2011 report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. These include cancers of the base of the tongue, tonsils, soft palate and pharynx. Although sexual behavior is associated with oral HPV infection, it's not fully clear how the cancer-causing virus is transmitted or progresses, according to background information in the new report.
Once diagnosed, fear of HPV transmission can lead to anxiety, divorce and curtailing of sex and intimacy among couples, said the study's lead author, Gypsyamber D'Souza, associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
New York City oncologist Dr. Dennis Kraus said it's normal for older couples in long-term relationships to become unsettled by the news that one of them has mouth and throat cancer caused by a sexually transmitted virus.