Jaime calls for oral sex protection for boys

Following her BBC Three programme on oral sex, actress Jaime Winstone has come out in favour of the HPV vaccine for men.

The HPV virus, which is also linked to genital warts, is responsible, according to the National Cancer Intelligence Network, for around 800 cases of oral cancer a year in the UK - the majority are in men.

School-girls are routinely offered the HPV vaccine but not boys. The Made in Dagenham star is now calling for the government to rethink its policy. 'For me it's a no brainer. The vaccination should be given to boys as well as girls. It's a very expensive procedure. It's £400 a jab. I don't know a lot of young teenage boys who would spend that money.'

Official Department of Health policy remains that more evidence is needed to ensure that vaccinating boys would be cost effective for the NHS.

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1 Sept 2008: Oral sex linked to increased mouth cancers in men