Is oral sex 'safe'?

By Sarah-Belle Murphy, June 11, 2008.

Birds and bees
Not everything you hear about the birds and the bees in the playground turns out to be true. In fact you can pretty much discount all of it you can't catch boys' kooties from a kiss, you won't get catch an STD by holding hands and oral sex will not end in pregnancy. That said, the latter may have more consequences than we had previously imagined if recent reports of HPV-related throat cancers are anything to go by.

The virus
Human papillomavirus (HPV) the virus at the root of most cervical cancer cases is on the rise and around 6000 new cases are reported in the US each year. If researchers in the US are to be believed, the throat cancer will affect more people than cervical cancer in the next 10 years.

It was previously believed that cancers found in the upper throat could be attributed to smoking or alcohol consumption. However in the light of research carried out by the Johns Hopkins University's Kimmel Cancer Centre, HPV-positive cancer patients tended to have a more extensive sexual history than those with other forms.

The theory
So why is oral sex a risk factor? According to medical experts, the virus thrives on the skin and can be transmitted via skin-to-skin contact. In the same way intercourse is aligned with cervical cancer, oral sex can be seen as a link to throat cancer.

At this point in time, the hard facts have yet to be proven. But medical experts have warned that the notion of oral sex being 'safe' is no longer the case.

The answer?
Researchers believe that the widespread use of the HPV vaccine, which lessens the risk of cervical cancer, may also offer protection from HPV-positive throat cancers. Although this too has yet to be proven.

For more information on the HPV vaccine consult your GP.