Abstinence from Oral Sex or its Safe Practice Can be good for both the person and the over-burdened Healthcare System

“I have no sexual relation with that woman” is what then President Clinton said to the investigators while being investigated for his relationship with the intern.  This particular comment became the joke on the night circuits.  Oral sex is sex or not, became quite often talked about topic.  It is however not a joke.  From medical perspective, it is sex and is unsafe in the form generally as practiced.

The definitions have been fudged by grownups to deny their philandering behavior and by younger generations to preserve their virginity.  People seem to not realize that sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus can take hold in parts of the oral cavity during sex with infected partners.

With the reduction in smoking and chewing tobacco, there has been steady decline in oral cancers.  However, there has been unexpected increase in oropharyngeal cancer.  “It does not take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that this rise is linked to changing sexual practices……there is credible if not alarming medical concern that the infection is being acquired through unprotected oral sex” says Dr. Bernadine Healy.  People seem clueless that sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human papillomavirus can take hold in parts of the oral cavity during sex with infected partners and that the oral contact can infect the genitals, too. 

 Concern about the growing risk of oropharyngeal cancer also bears on the use of the new HPV vaccine, Gardasil, which protects against HPV-16 and 18. Currently it’s approved for young women only. Yet men contract, carry, and transmit HPV and develop HPV-related genital cancers, though far less commonly than do women. But, when it comes to HPV-related tonsil and tongue cancer, men are at greater risk than women.

This growing trend can be curtailed by finding better vaccine.  However that only is playing dare devil with the deadly disease.  We can reduce the risk for better by controlling the risky behavior. It is not only healthy for you, it also reduces the undue burden on already over burdened healthcare.  The resources freed up could be then directed to more deadly and less preventable diseases.

Author:  Dr. R.K. ‘ravi” Pandey, BIPRO Health