Throat Cancer and Oral Sex: The Alarming Link You Need to Know

2023-08-19 01:30:00

Science and research have been dealing with cancer in its various forms for years. Often the first signs of cancer are not so easy to recognize, or some symptoms are simply overlooked. The company Biontech has only recently faced inFranken.de talked regarding his current work and developments. And a study from England now points to a special feature in one type of disease. Oral sex should therefore often be the trigger for throat cancer.

A tumor in the throat – not from smoking. As early as 2019, there was an investigation into the frightening number of infections from Hamburg. The British Newspaper The Independent has now given alarming figures for the USA and England, citing a study by the University of Birmingham.

Laryngeal Cancer: Study on Oral Sex Shows Worrying Development

According to experts, laryngeal cancer is now more common than cervical cancer in the United States and Great Britain, the newspaper writes. The special focus is on the special type of throat cancer in the area of ​​the tonsils.

The Independent writes that Dr. Hisham Mehanna of the University of Birmingham, UK, explains that this was “mainly caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is also the main cause of cervical cancer”.

People who practice oral sex with multiple partners are nine times more likely to get this form of cancer. On the portal The Conversation – a network of non-profit media companies that publish news and research reports – explained Dr. Mehanna comments: “Studies of behavioral trends show that oral sex is widespread in some countries. In a study my colleagues and I did on nearly 1,000 people who had tonsillectomy – complete surgical removal of the tonsils – for non-cancer reasons in the UK 80 percent of adults report having practiced oral sex at some point in their lives.”

Risk of cancer higher – smoking and alcohol are also behind oral sex

The expert goes on to explain in his contribution: “Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid increase in throat cancer in the West, which some are calling an epidemic.” Esophageal cancer is still one of the most dangerous types of cancer.

The surprising thing regarding the statements regarding the study in England: Doctors say that oral sex is the greatest risk factor for the development of cancer – well ahead of smoking, alcohol consumption and an unhealthy diet. According to the German Cancer Research Center in the Helmholtz Association, further research is needed on the risk of infection through oral sex. However, one can say:

Men appear to be more at risk of contracting HPV from oral sex with women than women who have oral sex with men. One reason for this might be that the virus is found more frequently in the female genital area than in the male genital area. There are also still unanswered questions regarding the situation of homosexual people. For example, gay men have an increased risk of oral HPV infection. But that might also be because many of them have more sexual partners overall.

Background information on HPV

As the German Cancer Research Center explains, there are more than 200 different types of HPV. “Only some of them can cause cancer. Experts call them high-risk types. Most people get infected with HPV during their lifetime. This infection often heals without consequences. But in some people it persists longer. This does not automatically mean that you get cancer But the risk of certain types of cancer increases, such as cervical cancer, cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis or anus, and head and neck cancer.”

Organisation:
German Cancer-research center

Seat:
Heidelberg, Campus Im Neuenheimer Feld

Employees:
around 3000

Founding:
1964

The experts also advise: You can only protect yourself completely from the cancer-causing HPV types by living a sexually abstinent life. Don’t want to give up sex? Then experts recommend using condoms for oral sex as well. However, these do not provide complete protection: because condoms do not cover all areas in the genital area that can be infected. However, they significantly reduce the risk of contracting HPV.

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