[Adeehsar]

Hello, thank you for reading my question. I am 20 years old; recently, there has been much talk about oral sex on campus. I know you can get stds from oral sex. But I want to know are you at a greater risk for a std ? Also, what are risk ? I want to know the facts.

[Fr_Chuck]

Greater risk than what ?

Greater risk than not having sex at all,

Greater risk than not having unprotected sex ?

Yes if you have unprotected sex and the person has a STD you can get it.

[Alty]

The risks for oral sex and STD's is about the same as the risks for vaginal or anal sex if unprotected.

So, what to do? Use a condom, practice safer sex. Safer you say, not safe? Nope, there's no such thing a safe sex, only safer. At least lower the risks by using a condom.

[Fr_Chuck]

Yes, and odds, a condom at best is 97 percent effective, and the percentage of effect "as used normally" is about 90 percent.

So I guess even with a condom your risk would be 3 to 10 percent danger if the other person was infected.

[Adeehsar]

Yes, I know you can get stds from having unprotected sex (and even protected sex). Isn't that common sense ? I just wanted to know more information about it; Iheard that it is connected to throat cancer. I hear plenty of things about oral sex, but I want to know the truth. When it comes to information about sex in college, it is hard to determine fact for fiction. Thank you for you time.

[smoothy]

If you perform with an idividual who has had multiple partners... or their partners had multiple partners... etc... the risk is there.

Assume the worst. Always use protection.

[kp2171]

I'm not sure if the OP'er is female, but ill answer as if she is.

My short answer, followed by my usual lengthy ramblings, is you should perhaps be as concerned about potential "throat cancer" tied to STD's from oral sex as you should be concerned about potential cervical cancer from HPV transmission with intercourse. The reason I used the word "perhaps" is because while the rates of oral cancers versus uterine are not equal, the prevalence of HPV in oral cancers is becoming well documented.

... also, consider getting the HPV vaccine if you ar a candidate.

Now for the ramblings...

Perspective... the type of oral cancer being talked about isn't even on the "top ten" list for most common cancers in women. Breast cancer is tops, lung cancer next. Uterine cancer falls around 4th. That said, there is concern that oral cancers tied to oral HPV infection might begin to occur at a higher rate.

Though HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, it hasn't has much of the stigma attached to it as other STD's like HIV, herpes, etc. just as most people will be exposed to and carry the HSV responsible for "fever blisters" or "cold sores" during their lifetime, the % of people who carry HPV is quite common, especially as one ages and has more sex partners. But that isn't to say it gets ignored. Its presence has clearly been tied to the rate of cervical cancer, and that's why pap smears are done regularly. Regular screening has dramatically helped with getting early treatment to those showing cancer or other tissue abnormalities.

The concern about throat cancer comes from studies that are seeming to tie in HPV with "throat" cancers. Most people who develop oral/oralpharyngeal cancers are often older, and smokers and/or heavy drinkers, but it has been found that in a population who does neither yet develops "throat" cancers, HPV is commonly found... the same virus that is clearly linked to cervical cancer.

It makes complete sense to me.

If you are having sex, you risk getting HPV... whether its through oral or intercourse. Condoms are not effective at stopping it, as it can reside at the skin at the genitals, not just in the "inner" areas of the urethra, vagina, etc... there is no real "safe sex" prevention that is reliable concerning HPV.

So... what to do?

Reduced sexual exposure reduces your risk. More sexual partners increases your risk. Period.

If you are a woman under... I think 26 or 27 was the last upper age I saw... you can get the HPV vaccine. This vaccine is NOT a 100% guarantee to prevent you from getting HPV, but I think it hits the HPV's that cause something like 70% or so of cervical cancers. There's even talk about whether this vaccine should be given to young men as well, but studies for this population aren't completed to my knowledge.

So... like I said, I never give the short answer. If you have sex, you risk getting STDs. HPV is the most common STD there is... and in many, many cases, the person is just a carrier. The way to limit your exposure to HPV is to limit your partners, to know their health history, to make logical decisions that you own about your health, and perhaps to consider the vaccine if you are elegible.

[kp2171]

And understand the relevance of HPV to cervical/oral cancer, if I didn't make it clear before.

Many, many people are HPV carriers and will never have cervical cancer or oral cancer.

But among those who do develop cervical cancer, HPV is very much present.

Among oral cancer, the problem is compounded by the fact there are other sources of the cancers... again, smoking and/or drinking being the most common factors cited. But the presence of oral HPV has recently been noted as being yet another factor.

[Adeehsar]

Well, I am a female. I got the HPV vaccine last year.I didn't know that HPV was related to oral cancer. Thank you for this information. I will tell my friends this.

[kp2171]

Well, just tell your friends the whole situation.

No doctor is telling patients "do not have sex because you will very likely get HPV, and therefore cervical cancer"... they know you may likely get HPV at some point in your life, if sexually active... even with the vaccine, it doesn't mean you will not get some strain of HPV, as long as you are sexually active.

They should tell you that the more partners you have, the more likely you will get the virus earlier. They should inform you about the vaccine. You should tell your friends that birth control does not stop transmission of this virus (a lot of people don't know that). They should continue to push for regular testing.

When I took a microbiology course in college, HPV was discussed, but almost rushed past to focus on other STD's with greater "social stigma"... but there was a time, before the pap test and treatments, when cervical cancer was much more common. Early detection and treatments have greatly reduced this.

About ten times as many people will die this year due to car accidents than cervical cancer. You know the risk when you drive a car that you could be hurt or killed. You should also know the risk about cervical cancer and ties to HPV (and therefore potential ties to throat cancers and HPV).

The honest truth is nobody knows how any of this will play out long term. Will there be a future spike in oral cancers tied to HPV because of oral sexual activity? Nobody knows. It can take decades for these things to play out... but I wouldn't be floored if rates of throat cancers continue to increase over the next few decades, tied to infections that occurred years and years ago.

The treatment rate for HPV linked throat cancers is much better than the rates for cancers tied to smoking and drinking, by the way. Something id hope you would relate as well to your friends. If they smoke and/or drink heavily, these will predispose them more than oral alone.

I would not be surprised at all to see more development and more testing on HPV vaccines for women and future administration to young men.

But... all this said... if you want to avoid oral cancers, watch your smoking and heavy alcohol use... those, at this time, are the most common factors tied to the disease. As for oral sex... that's a personal choice.

For me... the rate of disease wouldn't be enough to make me avoid it all together.

[Starbucks21]

Well depends on you and your partner?

Such as are both of you monogamous?

The risk is if you have unprotected oral sex with someone who has a disease you may catch that disease.

Most are curable. Some are not (herpes, aids... )

The symptoms are tricky to catch

And if you haven't done anything (abstinence) or if you and your partner only are intimate with each other you're fine.

HOWEVER, if you do decide to become sexually active I recommend a std test at least once a year because bs happens to all of us and it's part of being sexually healthy

[Adeehsar]

That is the tricky part. Some people will lie about their sexual history. That is why I believe everyone should get their partner tested for stds, before they have sex. Yes, some people will say that I am a pain in the neck. But if you have nothing to hide, what do you have to lose? Well, that is just my opinon.