Oral Mucosa as a Reservoir of Human Papillomavirus: Point Prevalence, Genotype Distribution, and Incident Infections Among Males in a 7-year Prospective Study

In addition to the anogenital malignancies, human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to oropharyngeal cancer as an important risk factor in both men and women. Knowledge of oral HPV infection among males is needed to elucidate the transmission routes and potential for prevention.To assess the prevalence, genotype distribution, and incidence of oral HPV infections among healthy Finnish men followed for 7 yr.Oral scrapings for HPV testing were...