Michael Douglas, oral sex and throat cancer
The actor Michael Douglas discussed his recent throat cancer treatment in an interview with The Guardian this weekend, and revealed that he blamed oral sex for his condition.
When asked by the newspaper if his throat cancer was caused by his many years of heavy drinking and smoking he was quoted as saying: "No, because without wanting to get too specific this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus." Could he be right? Here are some facts about HPV, oral sex and cancer risk.
What is HPV?
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the name for a group of viruses that affect your skin and the moist membranes lining your body, for example, in your cervix, anus, mouth and throat.
There are more than 100 types of HPV – 40 of which can affect the genital area.
The HPV virus is very common and is easily spread by sexual activity. As many as half the population will be infected at some time in their life. In most cases, the virus doesn't do any harm because your immune system gets rid of the infection. But in some cases, the infection persists and can lead to health problems.
Can HPV really cause cancer?
Yes. While many types of HPV are harmless, other high-risk types can cause abnormal tissue growth and trigger the onset of cancer.
Cancers linked to HPV infection include:
cervical cancer
vaginal cancer
vulval cancer
anal cancer
cancer of the penis
some cancers of the head and neck
Some types of HPV...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer QA articles Source Type: news
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