Science links oral sex to mouth cancer!

The following article details new scientific studies that have been investigating the link between Oral Sex and Cancer. Although many counties have conducted their own research into this possible epidemic, the findings and statistics in this article are relative to individuals in the UK.


While this isn't a topic that many of you will want to hear about, it is important to scrutinize these new scientific findings and try and come to a conclusion. Is Oral Sex contributing to the sudden rise in Mouth Cancer cases among the youth of the UK?


The Statistics
In the UK, health statistics have recorded a massive rise in the amount of young Brits contracting Mouth Cancers. Since 1989, the increase of young people contracting mouth cancers has risen by a staggering 50% in males, with females continuing to show a 3% increase in cases on a yearly basis. What is initially strange is that, while government advertising for the dangers of smoking continues to be effective and we see a large drop in the number of people smoking, once thought to be the major cause of Mouth Cancer, statistics continue to show a large increase in Mouth Cancer patients. In the UK alone, Mouth Cancer kills 0ver 1900 individuals every year, or approximately 1 person in every 10,000.


How Is Oral Sex Linked to Mouth Cancer?
For the last decade, the scientific community have been investigating the possible links between the two, with concerning results. It all comes down to a virus called, The Human Papilloma Virus, otherwise known as HPV for short. If you have ever heard of HPV you may be aware that it is the major cause of cervical cancer, however there is now evidence that suggests a larger problem. In the UK, it is estimated that up to 20% of females, aged between 18 and 22, carry the HPV virus and it is passed from person to person during sexual activity, whether that be full penetrative sex or oral sex. Its also been estimated that approximately 80% of females can expect to have an HPV infection at some point during their life.


What Is The Evidence?
A study was recently conducted on 1600 individuals who had Mouth Cancer and over 1700 healthy individuals from all over Europe and places as far away as Canada, Sudan, Cuba and Australia. The aim of the study was to take tissue samples of every patient to see if there was a direct link between Oral Cancer and the HPV virus. The HPV virus was found in a large number of Oral Cancer patients. Surprisingly, the individuals who admitted to having more than one sexual partner or who practised Oral Sex had a higher rate of HPV infection than those who chewed tobacco or smoked. The study showed that most of the individuals who had the virus had a strain known as "HPV 16", which is the most common form of the virus amongst those with cervical cancer. And it's not just woman who can be effected by the virus. It was proven that males are just as likely to have the virus as females.


Further evidence to suggest a direct link between Oral Sex and Mouth Cancer was found in the amount of HPV antibodies in the blood. From these tested individuals it was shown that the cancer patients were 3 times more likely to have HPV antibodies than the healthy individuals. This shows that all of these people had been exposed to the HPV virus at some point.


In cases where people neither smoke or drink and are considered too young to have Mouth Cancer, there must be another link, it was originally thought. The evidence points to HPV and Oral Sex as a likely explanation.


Should You Be Worried?
As with everything, everybody is different, however we should stress that this effects a small percentage of individuals. Most of the different strains of the HPV virus will clear up with no problem to the individual and show no signs or symptoms what-so-ever, however there is a relatively small percentage of individuals who can develop a Mouth Cancer if they contract a higher risk strain of the virus. Once you have contracted the HPV virus, commonly, it will take between 10 and 20 years for it to cause cancers. Experts have also stated that should you acquire an HPV infection, the vast majority will probably not develop Mouth or Throat Cancer and smoking, chewing tobacco or drinking excessively is by far the biggest cause.


Is Their Anything You Can Do To Protect Yourself?
We will say again that this is a very rare occurrence in people and the likelihood of it happening to you is very slim, although possible. At the moment, there is a vaccine currently being used which protect women against Cervical Cancer. This vaccine is used to attack the strains known as HPV6, HPV11, HPV16 and HPV18 and in the UK it is currently being issued to young female school children. The boys are not currently being vaccinated against HPV and are not expected to be, as it has only been licensed for administering to girls. Why you ask? Because it is too expensive for the government to vaccinate the whole population and as HPV is passed through sexual contact, it is believed that in time, vaccinating the girls will show a smaller percentage of men having an HPV related issue if there is a smaller number of girls passing it on. So HPV and men is not considered to be a priority.

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