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more oral sex increases risk of some cancers
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the risk of developing mouth and throat cancer from oral sex increases not just with the number of partners a person has but with the age at which they start having them, according to a new study.
the research, published in cancer, found that people who have had oral sex with more than 10 people were 4.3 times more likely to develop hpv-related oropharyngeal cancer. having more partners over a shorter period of time — referred to, perhaps ambiguously, as oral sex intensity — also increased the likelihood of the disease.
“our study builds on previous research to demonstrate that it is not only the number of oral sexual partners, but also other factors not previously appreciated that contribute to the risk of exposure to hpv orally and subsequent hpv-related oropharyngeal cancer,” said virginia drake, a physician at john hopkins university.
“as the incidence of hpv-related oropharyngeal cancer continues to rise in the united states, our study offers a contemporary evaluation of risk factors for this disease. we have uncovered additional nuances of how and why some people may develop this cancer, which may help identify those at greater risk.”
this nuance also includes having older partners when one is young or being intimate with people who have engaged in extramarital affairs. having oral sex for the first time when younger than 18 was connected to an increased risk of a later cancer diagnosis than waiting until after age 20.
the vast majority of sexually active people will be infected by hpv, or the human papillomavirus, at some point in their lives, making it the most common sexually transmitted disease in canada and the world, according to a special report by the canadian cancer society. hpv-related cancers of the mouth and throat are on the rise in the country, with nearly 4,400 people diagnosed with the disease in 2016 and about 1,200 losing their lives to it every year.
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“this report shows us for the first time how many canadians are being affected by hpv cancers,” said robert nuttall, the assistant director of health policy for canadian cancer society. “these cancers are largely preventable through vaccination. in the moment it takes to vaccinate your children, you are helping to protect them from cancer in the future.”
while most infections go away on their own in a couple of years without the host experiencing any physical symptoms, there are more than 100 types of hpv and around 25 of these are believed to present a cancer risk. while most people are aware that hpv leads to cervical cancer, this only accounts for 35 per cent the cancers it causes and does not include cancers of the mouth, throat, anus, penis and vagina, which are also possible.
“if you look at the trends there, we’re seeing that cervical cancer is relatively stable,” leah smith, an epidemiologist with the canadian cancer society, told cbc. “but rates of hpv mouth and throat cancers in males are increasing.”
she said it remains unclear why men are currently affected at four times the rate of women. “it does seem that the male immune system is responding differently to hpv infection than the female immune system,” she said. “what we are seeing is men are more likely to get an oral hpv infection and then once they get the oral hpv infection, are less likely to clear (the infection). it’s the persistence of hpv infection that ultimately leads to cancer.”
for smith, the path forward is simple and proven against most forms of the disease. “hpv vaccination is something relatively easy parents can do to protect their children from cancer,” she said.
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
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