Oral sex is a form of foreplay where the genital organs are kissed or licked during sex. There are rumours that oral sex can cause cancer; how true is it?
Although oral sex cannot cause cancer, it can lead to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which increases the risk of getting cancer.
Though HPV is a sexually transmitted disease you do not need to have sexual intercourse to contract HPV as it is spread through skin-to-skin contact such as anal or oral sex.
HPV can cause health challenges like genital warts and warts in the throat. It can also be transmitted to an unborn child by a pregnant woman who has it.
How can HPV lead to cancer?
Well, HPV can cause cells to become pre-cancerous and that can cause cancer. This is because the virus changes the genetic material in the infected cells.
Furthermore, a whopping 35% of people who have throat cancer have had HPV. The situation is exacerbated if the person smokes or drinks.
Most men and women who have HPV do not notice any symptoms until it develops to warts.
They might notice some bumps in their penis, scrotum, or anus. Some strains of HPV can cause anal, penile or throat cancer.
In women, HPV can lead to warts around the vagina, anus, cervix, or vulva and cancer too.
The ways to prevent these are;
- Stop having oral sex with untreated people.
- Go for regular tests and screening because it is usually undetected at the earliest stage.
- Stop having unprotected sex.