Oral sex is leading cause of increasing U.S. cancer rates, compared to tobacco use in other nations

New York Daily News ^ | 2/22/2011 | Lindsay Goldwert

[Beave Meister]

Oral sex could be hazardous to your health.

So say researchers who note that oral cancer stemming from the human papilloma virus is more common in the U.S. than oral cancer caused by abusing tobacco.

Researchers found a 225% increase in oral cancer cases in the U.S. from 1974 to 2007, mainly among white men, said Maura Gillison, a cancer researcher at Ohio State University.

The more oral-sex partners a man had, the greater his cancer risk, Gillison told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of oral cancer in the rest of the world.

There as many as 150 different types of human papilloma viruses, and about 40 of those can be sexually transmitted, according to the National Cancer Institute.

HPV infections often go undetected and are the main cause of cervical cancer in women.

Scientists are examining whether Gardasil and Cervarix, the HPV vaccines approved to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer, could have a significant impact on oral cancer.

In the meantime, researchers are urging doctors and educators to start talking to teens in particular about the risks of oral sex.

[TexasCajun]

Serious stuff.

A long time friend and major playah just got diagnosed with this.
(Just think Charlie Sheen without the bucks)

He's about to start Kemo and Radiation for throat cancer, had to pull all his teeth before they started and will loose all his hair once treatments start.

[darth]

I have read the original medical journal articles.

The article above is ambiguous, but the studies show that men providing oral sex to women is the surprising cause of the cancers. It seems that most women get vaginal HPV primarily from hetero sex with infected men. The men acquire oral HPV from providing oral sex to women. Lesbians are also at risk.

BTW, there have been NO documented cases of a man infecting his wife by kissing (a bit of a relief).

Interesting to note that not all HPV strains cause outward symptoms. You can even catch some HPV from skin-to-skin contact, so wearing a condom will not eliminate all risk.

In summary, the foot soldiers of the Sexual Revolution need to watch out for head and neck cancer.

[copaliscrossing]

What about Can'tTouchThis-a-cide, celebaticil and moralatrix. I hear that they are much more effective.

I also heard that Trinoacytol is a cure for AIDS.

[jda]

"The more oral-sex partners a man had, the greater his cancer risk . . ."

Uh, it doesn't say whether those partners are male or female. I'm sure it's just an oversight.