Head and neck cancers on the rise: Oral sex is the cause

A story in yesterday’s Health Day News points out a worrisome trend: increasing rates of head and neck cancer among the middle-aged and even among the young. The article notes that researchers believe this is a direct result of the more common practice of oral sex in the U.S. Through oral sex, the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause these cancers, is transmitted from the genitals to the mouth and larynx. Researchers believe that anywhere from fifty to seventy percent of new cases of oral cancer may be related to the spread of the virus.

ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan estimates that, “Ninety-five percent of Americans have no knowledge of this risk. In fact, most teenagers believe that oral sex is not sex, and that it’s fine and is without consequences. But doctors are observing these cancers in people who never had them before. In the past, mouth cancer victims were typically 75-year old men who smoked. Now we’re seeing young women turning up with this.”

Emphasizing the dangers of the virus and the failure to perceive its effects, Dr. Whelan cites the example of actress Farrah Fawcett. Although Fawcett died of anal cancer, which is also typically caused by HPV, few media outlets noted that her death was likely prompted by a sexually-transmitted virus. “It’s a relationship that people don’t want to accept,” Dr. Whelan comments. “There are emotional barriers to admitting this.”

Thankfully, Dr. Whelan observes, there is a vaccine offering protection against HPV. She adds: “It’s a public health matter. Parents should worry about whether or not their son or daughter is having sex later. As we’ve said in the past, you should get them vaccinated now.”