When this headline popped into my in box, I thought it was some right-wing group trying to scare people into abstinence. But this is actually a medical professional writing about HPV (human papillomavirus) and how the next time you get a cold, it could be throat cancer. Scarier than anything any right-wing group could say.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 20 million people are infected with HPV and that 50% of sexually active people will eventually be infected. In the United States alone, some five million new infections occur each year.
In fact, the majority of sexually active people eventually come in contact with HPV.
Fortunately, in most cases the body mounts an immune response that eliminates the virus.
But a small portion of people infected with HPV fail to clear the virus, and a subset of those develop cancer.
Earlier studies have linked HPV with head and neck cancers.
What the present study establishes, however, is the link between certain high-risk sexual behaviors, oral HPV infection and throat cancers, regardless of other risk behaviors such as drinking and smoking.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2008.
Phew! Its a good thing those crazy right wingers aren’t up to no good trying to sugegst not engaging in an activity that could lead to AIDS, HIV, gonnorhea, crabs, herpes, countless other STDs, and lets not forget, pregnancy. How horrible of those a-hole bastards to prevent another option in life. Good thing it really was an article on how sex may cause cancer! (If you haven’t figured it out yet, the previous text was laced with sarcasm)
James — oral sex causes pregnancy? I hope you’re not right … I might already be with child!