According to a scientist, oral sex has become the primary cause of throat cancer, as evidenced by two decades of research.

The western world has witnessed a sharp increase in throat cancer, which some scientists are now calling an “epidemic,” with one specific type of throat cancer predominantly located on the tonsil area in the back of the throat. This cancer is oropharyngeal cancer, and its rapid rise is largely due to the human papillomavirus (HPV). Professor Hisham Mehanna, from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, has reported that oropharyngeal cancer is now more common than cervical cancer in the US and UK.

According to Mehanna, the number of lifetime sexual partners, especially through oral sex, is the main risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer. People with six or more oral sex partners have an 8.5 times higher chance of developing the cancer than those who do not engage in oral sex.

In a UK study conducted by the professor and his team, 80% of adults reported having engaged in oral sex at some point in their lives. Nonetheless, he reassures that only a small percentage of those people will develop oropharyngeal cancer, though the team of researchers has yet to determine why that is.