HPV Vaccine Also Protects Against Throat Cancers, So Stop Making Fun Of Michael Douglas

shutterstock_140828491__1374420739_142.196.156.251“The cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix also appears to protect women against throat cancers caused by performing oral sex, and would likely offer the same protection to men,” a new study says. The new study also says, “we should all stop making fun of Michael Douglas for claiming he contracted throat cancer through all of his marathon cunnilingus sessions.” No, it doesn’t say that. But it should.

Michael Douglass made headlines a few months ago when he claimed he contracted throat cancer thanks to all of the years he spent performing cunnilingus. We all laughed, because that sounds ridiculous. Well, it turns out that it’s not. From Health Day News:

The study of more than 5,800 sexually active women, ages 18-25, in Costa Rica found that only one woman who received Cervarix had cancer-causing HPV 16 or HPV 18 in her throat four years after being vaccinated, compared with 15 women who had received a placebo.

Cervarix provided 93 percent protection against the two HPV strains that cause most throat cancers, the researchers concluded.

“We were surprised at how big the effect was,” study lead author Dr. Rolando Herrero, head of prevention for the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, told The Times. “It’s a very powerful vaccine.”

Maybe Michael was right. Maybe not – he’s also a career smoker, so who really knows what is ultimately to blame for his throat cancer? But this study seems like reason enough to push for our boys to get vaccinated, too.

Rates of throat cancers linked to oral sex have surged in the past 30 years, particularly among heterosexual middle-aged men. About 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancers are now caused by sexually transmitted viruses, compared with 16 percent in the 1980s, The Times reported.

It’s been hard to convince some parents to vaccinate their girls against HPV, because there are those that somehow believe there is a correlation between vaccinating against cervical cancer in their daughters and giving them carte-blanche to have tons of sex. Ignorance is a powerful thing. Can you imagine how hard it will be to convince these parents to vaccinate their boys – just in case they develop an affinity for oral sex? Good luck.

Bottom line – it looks like it’s a good idea to start vaccinating all of our children. Also, we should stop making fun of Michael Douglas.

(photo: Featureflash/ Shutterstock)

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