Oral sex carries many of the same risks as vaginal sex, including human papilloma virus, or HPV

HPV may now be overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of oral cancers in America in people under age 50. The latest data suggest that 64% of oropharynx cancers - growing in the middle part of the throat - in the United States are caused by HPV, which is more than tobacco causes. In addition, as the number of partners on whom you have performed oral sex goes up, the risk of oropharnyx cancer goes up. About 37,000 people per year receive a diagnosis of oral cancer. About 5% of cancers worldwide are caused by HPV.