Oral sex fuels throat cancer spike

Oral sex might be a hidden danger lurking in the bedroom. Alarming information from the scientific community point to a sharp link between the practice to a spike in throat cancer diagnoses.

Dr Steven Alexander, senior medical officer at the Hope Institute, Jamaica's premier cancer care facility, says he has seen a surge in male patients with oropharyngeal cancer, a form of throat cancer.

Traditionally, smoking topped the list of risk factors for throat cancer among men at the institute, but Alexander reports a shift. Now, the Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection, has been fuelling the prevalence of oropharyngeal and cervical cancers.

Despite lingering taboos, the rise in throat cancer among younger Jamaican men is real, with Alexander seeing cases in patients as young as their 30s, a far cry from the past when most cases were men over 70.

He warns, "HPV-related throat cancers are more aggressive than those caused by smoking," underscoring that while smoking in public has sharply declined, cancer cases tied to HPV are climbing.

"Initially, about 20/30 years ago, for argument sake, smoking was prevalent in the society and most throat cancers back then were due to smoking. Fortunately, Jamaica has cut down on smoking significantly, they have banned it in public areas, but we're still having throat cancers and that is where the HPV comes in," Alexander explained.

"But, back in the day when smoking was more prevalent, the age of our oropharyngeal [cancer] patients would be 70 and above," he said, adding that now he's seeing more male patients between their mid-30s and early 50s being diagnosed with throat cancer.

"One can deduce that oral sex is a likely cause for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers," he said.

But not everyone is willing to give up the risky practice. Bill*, 36, is one of them.

"Mi enjoy it, and mi nah guh stop do it," he declared, speaking candidly with THE WEEKEND STAR.

"You have HIV, all these STIs, unwanted pregnancy, and it never stop anybody from having unprotected sex. Suh why HPV fi stop me from wanting to practise oral sex? No! Mi nuh deterred by that," he added.

In a two-year relationship, Bill shared that he's been upfront with his partner, saying, "I told her, 'If yuh guh out a road, protect yuh self and protect me. I'll protect myself and protect you.' It's as simple as that."

Though he's had other sexual partners over the last two years, he reserves oral sex for his girlfriend, noting that trust plays a significant role in his choice.

Pam*, 25, has known about HPV's link to cancer since high school. She practises safe sex, getting regular Pap smears. But, despite enjoying oral sex with her husband, she hasn't received the HPV vaccine.

"I've always enjoyed it, and so does my partner," said Pam, who has been with her husband for six years and married for one.

"We do our STD panel test every year and, in our marriage, we like to explore. We don't have any other sexual partners and we're just with each other," Pam explained, adding that she feels safe with her husband.

Alexander recommends that young girls between nine and 12 receive the HPV vaccine to reduce the risk of cancers, including throat and cervical cancer later in life, and he encourages adults to consider it too.

"Most people are exposed to HPV worldwide," he noted, emphasising that vaccination can be a critical step toward reducing the cancer risk associated with this common virus.

* Names changed to protect identity.