World Oral Health Day: Oral sex can spread throat cancer – Expert warns

Oral sex can have the tendencies of spreading throat cancer and cervical cancer.

This is because the two have a link due to how they are contracted by the individual.

The human papilloma virus on women has been the illness spreading when men indulge in oral sex.

This came to light during the celebration of the “World Oral Health Day”.

Statistics from the Oral Health Professionals Association of Ghana (OHPAG) indicates that over 85% of Ghana’s population have never visited a dentist in their lifetime before for examination.

OHPAG says the figure is worrying because the mouth is the most sensitive part of the human body since whatever the body consumes goes through the mouth.

The month of March has been set aside for oral health awareness month.

As part of activities marking the event, the Kintampo Municipal Hospital in the Bono East Region, in collaboration with the OHPAG, and the Oral Health Students Association of Ghana, on Friday, March 13, 2026, organised a public lecture at the hospital.

Dubbed “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Life”, the purpose was to educate people on how to protect themselves from oral diseases.

The President of OHPAG, Shaibu Isifu, warned the public of dire consequences for negligence towards their oral health.

He said “cancer can affect the mouth due to continued indulging in oral sex”.

“The women have human papilloma virus and this is what brings cervical cancer so as men indulge in oral sex, one can contract throat cancer because the virus on the womb of the woman can spread the disease”, he explained.

The President of OHPAG advised that those who want to continue practicing oral sex must first be screened to ensure the woman does not have any illness before they indulge in it.

Mr. Shaibu Issifu noted that a lot of Ghanaians do not know how to properly brush their teeth.

“We all brush our teeth, but how to do it is the most important. We must brush our teeth twice, morning and evening. The morning brings brightness to the teeth while the evening protects the teeth”, he explained.

The OHPAG President advised that the type of brush that is used for brushing is also important.

“Hard brushes are harmful to the teeth but soft brushes are the best for brushing the teeth,” he explained.

The Medical Superintendent of the Kintampo Municipal Hospital, Dr. Anthony Twum, described the statistics as worrying.

He called on the public to regularly brush their teeth and visit the dentist at least twice in a year to prevent oral related diseases.

He said most people brush their teeth once a day and that is dangerous for the teeth.

Dr. Twum advised the public to take their oral health seriously and adhere to the oral health safety protocols to prevent oral health related diseases.