Boys and men are not routinely given the HPV vaccine in the UK or in any other country. This is because they do not need to be protected against cervical cancer, and the evidence for the current vaccine protecting against oral cancer is not conclusive.

If you are worried

If you're worried about oral cancer, see your GP. "Mouth cancer has fairly clear symptoms, and you can see them by looking inside someone's mouth," says Yong.

"It's not like an internal cancer where you can't see the organ and the symptoms might be very vague. You can look for the symptoms of mouth cancer, and if you spot them early, treatment is much easier. Early detection can play a big part in giving people the best chance if they develop problems. But the risk of developing problems is fairly low anyway."

The symptoms of oral cancer include:

  • red, or red and white, patches on the lining of your mouth or tongue
  • one or more mouth ulcers that do not heal after three weeks
  • a swelling in your mouth that lasts for more than three weeks
  • pain when swallowing
  • a feeling as though something is stuck in your throat

Find out more about symptoms of?oral cancer.

Safer oral sex

According to the second National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, carried out in 2000, more than 75% of men and women aged 16-44 years had oral sex in the previous year.

You can make oral sex safer by using a condom on a man's penis, because it acts as a barrier between the mouth and the penis. A dam (a square of very thin soft plastic) across a woman?s genitals can protect against infection.

Find out more about?STIs and safer sex.

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