#cervical

“Some of y’all wont have sex without a condom. That’s good. But you’ll gladly go down on somebody? See…I don’t get it. Because now, you done ATE the disease.”

-Unknown Comedian

Get this, despite the recent drop in use of tobacco products, oral cancers (which include cancers of the tongue, tonsils and the back of the throat) are on the rise. This is a little surprising, because use of tobacco products has been the #1 cause of these cancers for a while now. 

What’s behind the rise? The Human papillomavirus or HPV (a virus proven to be linked to cervical cancer in women). Yup, many scientists now believe that the growing popularity/practice of oral sex is behind the jump in the number of people developing oral cancer.

Steven Gill, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology and a scientist in the Center for Oral Biology at the University of Rochester Medical Center School of Medicine and Dentistry in Up-State New York is the man behind some of the current research being done and he had this to say:

“It’s possible that pockets of gum inflammation and tissue destruction in the mouth provide a reservoir for HPV, which the virus uses to infect nearby tissue. Other teams are studying the link as well. Recently in the journal Archives of Otolaryngology, scientists describe a possible association between oral inflammatory disease – chronic periodontitis or gum disease – and HPV infection in patients with head and neck cancers.”

Foul Mouthed: We’re not trying to ruin your next kiss, but here is a not-so-cool-party-fact: There are more than 800 types of bacteria living in the space between your lips and your throat. And that’s no typo. 800. But here’s the thing, they’re actually not allbad. In fact, most of them are there keeping other potentially dangerous bacteria “in-check”. 

What To Do About It: Researchers are in the middle of taking a closer look at the bacteria in the mouths of those with oral cancers and comparing the findings with the “healthier” mouths of those without oral cancer. The goal is to hopefully find which bacteria may actually play a role in the development of some types of cancer.

Now, we’re going to say this, even though most of you will likely ignore it: Dental Dam. Read about it, use it (…we figured we’d at least try). In the mean time Dr. Steven Gill, Ph.D., stresses the importance of preventing oral inflammatory disease as a key way for helping to prevent an HPV infection of your mouth. Brushing and flossing your grill regularly, are easy steps to fight gum disease and increase the likelihood that the HPV virus doesn’t have any easy openings to sneak in through, and that the “good bacteria” aren’t overtaken by the “bad ones” in your mouth and throat.

So, get to scrubbin’ before you get to lovin’!