After Michael Douglas’ interview
of his throat cancer revelation - diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago, was
quoted as telling The
Guardian newspaper his strain of cancer had been caused by HPV (human papillomavirus).
Although the biggest risk factors for throat cancer are smoking and drinking
heavily.
However, he was also right that
HPV - which can be transmitted by oral sex - also poses a risk. Since oral sex is a pleasure and a healthy part of relationship.
But there are some things that many people don't know about oral sex. Here are the
facts that might surprise you.
What is Oral Sex?
Oral sex involves giving or
receiving oral stimulation (i.e., sucking or licking) to the penis, the vagina,
and/or the anus.
- Fellatio - is the technical term used to describe oral contact with the penis.
- Cunnilingus - is the technical term which describes oral contact with the vagina.
- Anilingus - (also known as “rimming”) refers to oral-anal contact.
Studies indicate that oral sex is
commonly practiced by sexually active male-female and same-gender couples of
various ages, including adolescents. Although there are only limited national
data about how often adolescents engage in oral sex, some data suggest that
many adolescents who engage in oral sex do not consider it to be “sex;” therefore they may use oral sex
as an option to experience sex while still, in their minds, remaining
abstinent.
Moreover, many consider oral sex
to be a safe or no-risk sexual practice. In a national survey of teens
conducted for The Kaiser Family Foundation, 26% of sexually active 15- to
17-year-olds surveyed responded that one “cannot
become infected with HIV by having unprotected oral sex,” and an additional
15% didn’t know whether or not one could become infected in that manner.
Does oral sex really linked to throat cancer?
It's
not oral sex, per se, that causes cancer, but the human papillomavirus (HPV),
which can be passed from person to person during sex, including oral sex.
What are the risks of HPV?
- Human papillomavirus is an infection that causes genital warts. In England, they are the second most common type of sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia.
- In most cases, genital HPV infections cause no real symptoms and clear up by themselves without causing any problems.
- HPV comes in more than 100 different strains and some can trigger cancers.
- Most cases of genital warts are caused by 'low-risk' HPV types 6 and 11, meaning they do not pose a significant cancer risk.
- High-risk types include HPV 16 and 18 which can cause cancer of the cervix in women.
- High-risk HPV infections are also associated with cancer of the penis, vulva, vagina, anus, mouth and throat.
- Other types of HPV can cause visible warts and verrucas, such as those commonly seen on the hands and feet.
- Although HPV is implicated in some throat cancers, smoking and alcohol are far more common risk factors.
How is HPV spread?
- Genital warts can be spread during vaginal or anal sex, and by sharing sex toys. However, you do not need to have penetrative sex to pass the infection on because HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact.
- HPV infection can also be spread through oral sex.
- It can take up to one year for warts to develop after infection with HPV. Therefore, if you are in a relationship and you get genital warts, it does not necessarily mean your partner has been having sex with other people.
- HPV is most likely to be transmitted to others when warts are present, but it is still possible to pass the virus on before the warts have developed and after they have disappeared.
- Condoms do not provide complete protection because it is possible for the skin around the genital area (not covered by the condom) to become infected.
How do you know that you have genital warts?
Some infected people will show no
signs, while others will have visible warts.
In women, warts occur on the
inside and outside of the vagina, on the cervix (neck of the womb) or around
the anus. In men, genital warts may occur on the tip or shaft of the penis, or
around the anus.
Other down there diseases
Several sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), including HIV, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, HPV, and viral
hepatitis can be passed on through oral sex.
"Oral sex is not safe
sex," says Terri Warren, RN, owner of Westover Heights Clinic in Portland,
Ore., a private clinic specializing in STDs. "It's safer sex, but it's definitely
not safe sex.”
The risks depend on a lot of
different things, including how many sexual partners you have, your gender, and
what particular oral sex acts you engage in.
Using barrier protection can
reduce the risk of getting any disease. A barrier can be a condom covering the
penis, or a plastic or latex "dental dam" placed over the vulva or
anus. Instead of a prepackaged dental dam, a condom cut open to make a sheet is
also an acceptable barrier.
Remember you can only pick up human papillomavirus (HPV) from someone who has
one. However, it is not always easy to know whether you have an HPV or not.
Most cases are either symptomless or have symptoms which are mild and
go unnoticed. Often the only way of finding out whether we have HPV is by
having a checkup and the relevant tests.
