You Can Get Cancer From Oral Sex

Actor Michael Douglas made headline after he said that his throat cancer may have been caused by the human papilloma virus transmitted through oral sex.

The link between oral sex, HPV and cancer has been receiving more attention in recent years.

HPV is a virus that's transmitted through sexual contact , genital or oral. There are more than 40 types, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and approximately 79 million Americans are currently infected. Most people have no symptoms.

According to CDC, "HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. In most cases, the virus goes away and it does not lead to any health problems. There is no certain way to know which people infected with HPV will go on to develop cancer."

HPV was overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of oral cancers in Americans under the age of 50.

The virus is transmissible regardless of whether the sexual contact is heterosexual or homosexual.
HPV has also been linked to cervical cancer, penile cancer and anal cancer, according to the CDC.

HPV is not the only danger of having unprotected oral sex. Sexually transmitted diseases like herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea and HIV can be also be spread through the act.