Risks associated with oral sex:

 

Oral sex refers to sexual activities involving the stimulation of the genitalia by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat.

 

‘Cunnilingus’ refers to oral sex performed on females. ‘Cunnilingus’ comes from a Latin word for vulva (a woman’s exterior sex organs), cunnus, and from the Latin word for licking, lingere.

 

‘Fellatio’ refer to oral sex performed on males. Fellatio comes from the Latin word fellare, meaning to suck.

 

‘Analingus’ refers to oral stimulation of a person’s anus.

 

Oral stimulation of other parts of the body (as in kissing and licking) is usually not considered oral sex.

 

What are the Risks of Oral Sex?

 

There is a commonly held belief among many lay people that oral sex carries little or no risk. In fact, some consider oral sex a safer sex alternative. But the truth is, like any other sexual activity, oral sex carries a risk of transmitting –

 

•Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

•Chlamydia

•Gonorrhea

•Herpes

•Hepatitis

•HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

 

If the receiving partner has wounds or open sores on their genitals, or if the giving partner has wounds or open sores on or in their mouth, or bleeding gums, this poses an increased risk of STDs transmission. Brushing the teeth, flossing, undergoing dental work, or eating crunchy foods, such as chips relatively soon before or after giving oral sex, can also increase the risk of transmission, because all of these activities can cause small scratches in the lining of the mouth.

 

These wounds, even when they are microscopic, increase the chances of contracting STDs that can be transmitted orally under these conditions. Such contact can also lead to more mundane infections from common bacteria and viruses found in, around, and secreted from the genital regions. The risk is even greater in serodiscordant couples (one partner is HIV positive while the other is negative), people who are not monogamous, or in people who inject drugs and/or share needles and syringes.

 

Which Behaviors are the Riskiest?

 

In 2005, a research study at the College of Malmö in Sweden suggested that performing unprotected oral sex on a person infected with HPV might increase the risk of oral cancer. The study found that 36 percent of the cancer patients had HPV compared to only 1 percent of the healthy control group.

 

Another recent study suggests a correlation between oral sex and head and neck cancer. It is believed that this is due to the transmission of human papilloma virus (HPV), a virus that has been implicated in the majority of cervical cancers and which has been detected in throat cancer tissue in numerous studies.

 

The New England Journal of Medicine study concluded that people who had one to five oral-sex partners in their lifetime had approximately a doubled risk of throat cancer compared with those who never engaged in this activity and those with more than five oral-sex partners had a 250% increased risk. Certain kinds of sexual behavior were significantly associated with oropharyngeal cancer after adjustment for confounding variables. The association with oropharyngeal cancer increased significantly with the number of vaginal-sex partners or oral-sex partners and was markedly elevated among patients with a high lifetime number of such partners.

 

Mouth Cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV):

 

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the most common virus groups in the world to affect the skin and mucosal areas of the body. Over eighty types of HPV have been identified. Different types of the human papilloma virus are known to infect different parts of the body. It infects the epithelial cells of skin and mucosa. The epithelial surfaces include all areas covered by skin and/or mucosa such as the mouth, throat, tongue, tonsils, vagina, penis, and anus. Infection with the virus occurs when these areas come into contact with a virus, allowing it to transfer between epithelial cells.

 

Study shows that the mouth, at the cellular level, structurally very similar to the vagina and cervix. Both organs have the same type of epithelial cells that are the target of HPV 16 and HPV 18. The majority of oral cancers are cancers of epithelial cells, primarily squamous cell carcinomas, not unlike the cancers that affect the cervix. Study also shows that smoking and drinking alcohol help promote HPV invasion. Combine tobacco and alcohol with HPV, and the epithelial cells in the mouth, and you may have the formula for the development of an oral cancer.

 

More than 50 percent of sexually active adults are thought to be infected with at least one strain of the virus, and up to 80 percent of sexually active women will have been exposed to the virus by the time they turn 50. Most people with HPV will never have any symptoms. Others will have one or more outbreaks of genital warts, experience pre-cancerous cervical changes, or even develop one or more HPV-related cancers.

 

Indications that you may have developed oral or laryngeal cancer:

• A sore in the mouth that does not heal spontaneously within three weeks

• A lump or thickening in the cheek

• A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth

• Soreness or a feeling that something is caught in the throat

• Difficulty chewing or swallowing

• Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue

• Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth or

• Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

 

HPV Prevention:

 

HPV is spread by oral sex, vaginal sex, and anal sex, as well as by skin-to-skin contact with infected areas. Since the virus is spread from skin to skin, not just through body fluid, it is possible to transmit the virus even when a condom is used. Condoms do, however, reduce the risk of transmission.

 

The high prevalence of the virus, combined with the fact that condoms don’t offer complete protection, has prompted scientists to research alternate methods of prevention. One of the avenues they are exploring is vaccines. Vaccines are most effective before a person has been exposed to the virus, but many parents and politicians are resistant to the idea of vaccinating young girls for a sexually transmitted disease for fear that it might encourage them to have unprotected sex.

 

Fact Sheet on Oral Sex:

 

1. Oral sex can cause transmission of HPV which is responsible for the mouth cancer.

 

2. You can get an STD or HIV (the virus that causes AIDs) from oral sex – you must use a condom or dental dam or you risk exposure.

 

3. Oral sex is not something that everyone is interested in – don’t pressure somebody to do this, it is the same as pressuring them to have intercourse and it is wrong.

 

4. The old “spit or swallow” question is outdated. When having oral sex you must use barrier protection such as a condom or dental dam.

 

5. Oral sex is not a consolation prize – if your partner says no to intercourse they don’t owe you oral sex instead.

 

6. Oral sex is not a safe alternative to intercourse; although you can not get pregnant from this act you can catch an STD or HIV.

 

7. Oral sex should only be done with a person who you trust; both the players in an oral sex encounter are very vulnerable to the other.
Performing Safer Oral Sex:

 

Too many people’s surprise, there are some risks associated with oral sex. With a few simple precautions, those risks can be minimized. To avoid risks of oral sex-

 

• Keep semen and vaginal fluids out of your mouth

• Make sure your mouth is healthy, free of cuts or sores, and without bleeding gums.
Oral Sex on a Woman:

 

Keep vaginal fluids out of your mouth by:

 

• Use a commercially available dental dam

• Create a latex square from an unlubricated condom

• Use a section of plastic food wrap as a barrier between the mouth and vagina

 

Oral Sex on a Man:

 

Keep semen out of your mouth by:

 

• Use unlubricated condoms which do not contain spermicide

• Use commercially available flavored condoms

 

Author: Dr. R. Kumar (Delhi)

 

Related posts:

1. Sexual activity and prostate cancer link   Young men who are sexually active in their 20s and 30s are at high risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a research study by Nottingham University. They conducted...
2. Men with ED are at high risk for heart disease   According to a Mayo clinic study, Men with Erectile Dysfunction are at 80% more risk to develop heart disease than men who do not have Sexual Dysfunction. Men in...
3. Smoking leads to infertility   Smoking can cause infertility by changing the sequence of DNA in sperm cells. These changes could be inherited to their offspring and make them infertile. So smokers not only...