What is Oral HPV and can I get tested for it?

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden has revealed that he has stage three tongue cancer which he claims he got from HPV.  He is following in the footsteps of Michael Douglas who said he got his cancer from oral sex.

There are over 100 types of HPV, around 4o of them are sexually transmitted and 14 types mean that you are of higher risk of contracting cancer.  HPV is indicated in several different types of cancer.  Most commonly it is types 16 and 18 in cervical cancer in women.  However, it can also cause anal, penile, ovarian, mouth, throat and tongue cancers.

The only reliable test involves a swab.  For women, this is a swab of the cervix to see if 20 HPV types are present (14 High Risk and 6 Low Risk).  For men, this needs a swab of a suspected wart of blemish.  To be tested for oral HPV the swab needs to be done under general anaesthetic to reach the appropriate areas.  There is no general test for HPV, it is locations specific.

HPV also causes genital warts in both men and women, but this is a low-risk type of HPV and this type alone means that you do not have an increased risk of cancer.  Genital warts are easily spread and there is no cure.  However, most people find that the outbreaks become less severe and less frequent.  Individual warts can be frozen off.

It is possible to have more than one type of HPV.  Just because you have HPV, it does not mean that you will go on to develop cancer but you should get tested more regularly.

To arrange your HPV test, please contact us at the number above.  We will help you every step of the way.