A lovely new way to die!

[elfs]

We all know about the link between the papilloma virus and cervical cancer, right? More bad news:

People who have had more than five oral-sex partners in their lifetime are 250% more likely to have throat cancer than those who do not have oral sex, a new study suggests.

The researchers believe this is because oral sex may transmit human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus implicated in the majority of cervical cancers.

Comments

[lovingboth]

There have been quite a few articles on HPV recently.

Entirely coincidentally, the makers of the new (and currently staggeringly expensive) HPV vaccines are eager for a programme to vaccinate every girl in the country.

HPV is implicated in anal cancer too, but even amongst gay and bisexual men, it only affects 35 in 100,000 men. Memory is telling me the figures are even lower for throat cancers.

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

The vaccine makers aren't the only group in play here: the other reason that HPV has been getting a lot of press in the past few years is that the Catholic Church and various other groups opposed to the use of condoms for STD prevention have been making a big stink about how condoms don't prevent HPV transmission (true) and therefore abstinence-only sex "education" is preferable (not so true). For obvious reasons, the emergence of a working HPV vaccine is a disaster for those folks.

Given a choice between the profit-seeking pharma companies and the eschaton-seeking fundies, I'm pretty happy casting my lot in with the former-- the patents on Gardasil will eventually expire after all.

[gromm.livejournal.com]

HPV is implicated in anal cancer too, but even amongst gay and bisexual men, it only affects 35 in 100,000 men. Memory is telling me the figures are even lower for throat cancers.

The article states throat cancer affects 2 in 100,000 in the general adult population.

wow

[amberite2112.livejournal.com]

that, um, sucks

[skywhisperer.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I live in Texas, where girls are required to get the HPV vaccine before 6th grade.

oh, wait... (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-25-texas-hpv-vaccine_N.htm)

[gromm.livejournal.com]

This must be a preliminary study. Only 100 throat cancer victims were subjected to this test, with a control of 200 healthy people. I'd be more inclined to agree with the numbers if there were 1,000 in each group.

I liked the suggestion that people who engage in oral sex use condoms. This is clearly a suggestion from someone who's never tried that, as the fucking reservoir tip makes the entire experience completely unpalatable.

I've even looked for non-reservoir-tip condoms, and it seems noone makes them anymore.

[fallenpegasus]

The Durext Avanti non-latex condom don't have much of a reservoir tip, and have the added advantage that they taste like nothing at all, instead of tasting like licking an inner tube.

[intrepid-reason.livejournal.com]

I can state from experience that they do taste like something, and it's definitely not cock. Meh!

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Nor have they ever had a dental assistant's latex-gloved hands rummaging around in their mouths, either. Blech. I tried the Kiss of Mint kind once. Mmmmm, mint-flavored inner tube.

[fallenpegasus]

It may be 2.5 times more likely, but was is the base probability? Without citing that number, it's a useless news article.

[antonia-tiger.livejournal.com]

Quoted as 2 in 100,000 for throat cancer.

Don't trust news reporting on statistics: it's math and thus hard work. Somebody's not reporting the error bars on those results. They never do.

Anyway, I think, "Virus in hole linked to cancer in hole: so what's new?"

[mundens.livejournal.com]

Given the choice between a lower than 1% risk of cancer and oral sex, I choose oral sex thanks! :)

[intrepid-reason.livejournal.com]

Well hell, I am sure to have throat cancer.

[slfisher.livejournal.com]

Any way to test for this? I appear to have lucked out in my 47 years and never gotten warts in the other end, but how do I find out about my throat?

[zonereyrie.livejournal.com]

Warning: Life leads to death.