Oral sex at a younger age could increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer, study finds

• The number of oral sex partners you have and the age at which you first have oral sex could increase your risk of developing throat or mouth cancer linked to HPV, according to new research.
• HPV is the most common STD in the US and often has no symptoms. People can unknowingly spread HPV to their sex partners.
• HPV often goes away on its own, but certain strains are also linked to anal, cervical, mouth, and throat cancer.

HPV, the most common STD in the US with 14 million Americans becoming infected with it annually, is known to be a leading cause of mouth and throat cancer.

Now, a study suggests certain factors that could increase a person's risk of developing these two HPV-linked cancers, including the age at which they first had oral sex and how many sexual partners they've had.

The research, published today in the journal Cancer, looked at 163 people with mouth or throat cancer and 345 people who don't have these cancers but were of similar demographics. More than half of study participants were men, and the majority of participants were between 50 and 69 years old, heterosexual, and were married or living with a partner.

They found that study participants who first engaged in oral sex at a younger age and those who reported having more overall sex partners during their lifetimes were more likely to have been diagnosed with mouth or throat cancer than people who first had oral sex at a later age and had fewer sex partners.

Read more: 6 things you need to know about HPV

Researchers also found people who reported having more vaginal sex or who participated in French kissing more often were more likely to develop HPV-related mouth or throat cancer than people who didn't engage in these activities as much.

What is HPV, and how is it linked to mouth and throat cancer?

HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact so condoms aren't guaranteed to stop the spread of HPV from one person to the next. And since the virus often doesn't come with obvious symptoms like lesions or warts, most people with HPV don't realize they have it and spread it to others.

Though most people infected with HPV don't need treatment and the STD goes away on its own, some people with undiagnosed HPV could develop anal, mouth, or throat cancer.

Read more: A therapist needed rectal surgery to treat his HPV, and he said it changed his life for the better

Before this study, it was unclear which factors besides the amount of sexual partners a person has could increase a person's risk of developing HPV-related cancers.

Since the study relied on participants' self-reported data, there were limitations because the results could have been skewed if they didn't recall their number of sex partners or sex habits correctly.

HPV has also been linked to anal cancer

People with HPV also run the risk of developing anal cancer, an alarming trend experts have warned about, Insider previously reported.

Being open with any sex partners about your STD status and the last time you've been tested could help prevent HPV spread and potentially lower HPV-related cancer risk.

Getting Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against HPV infections in men and women, can also help.