Oral sex could increase your risk of SKIN cancer – the 3 ways to protect yourself
STEALTH INFECTION Oral sex could increase your risk of SKIN cancer – the 3 ways to protect yourself
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SCIENTISTS have discovered a new cause of skin cancer - and it's linked to oral sex.
Human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK, is primarily transmitted through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity, including oral sex.
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HPV is primarily transmitted through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity
Credit: Getty
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It's previously been linked to increased risk of several cancers, including anal, head and neck, throat, penile cancer and cervical cancer.
But now, US researchers say the virus could also cause a deadly form of skin cancer - squamous cell carcinoma.
Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) discovered the link after a 34-year-old woman was referred to the clinic.
She presented with 43 spots of the skin cancer on her face, hands and legs.
But while she had surgery to remove them, as well as immunotherapy, the cancer returned.
Doctors first suspected sun damage and a weak immune system, but later found the beta-HPV virus had inserted into her skin cells' DNA and was producing viral proteins, taking control of the cells.
Dr Andrea Lisco, a virologist who led the study, said: "This discovery could completely change how we think about the development, and consequently the treatment, of [skin cancer] in people who have a health condition that compromises immune function.
"It suggests that there may be more people out there with aggressive forms of [skin cancer] who have underlying immune defect and could benefit from treatments targeting the immune system."
The woman in the case report was found to have a genetic condition that weakened her T-cells (a type of immune cell), leaving her unable to fight off the virus.
Doctors treated her with a stem cell transplant to restore her immune system.
Urgent health alert as most sexually active will get cancer causing virus at some point in life
Three years later, her skin cancer hadn't returned, and other HPV-related complications, such as growths on her tongue and skin, had disappeared.
The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and are preliminary, only suggesting a potential link between HPV and skin cancer.
Three ways to protect yourself from HPV
The most effective way to protect yourself from HPV is to get the HPV vaccine.
Additionally, practising safe sex, such as using condoms, and getting regular screenings can further reduce the risk of infection and potential health problems.
HPV vaccination
In the UK, the vaccine is routinely offered to children aged 12 to 13, but is also available for older individuals who may have missed it, especially those at higher risk.
The vaccine is most effective when administered before the first sexual contact, but it can still provide protection even after sexual activity has begun.
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The HPV vaccine is routinely offered to children aged 12 to 13
Credit: Getty
How do you know if you have HPV?
HPV doesn't usually cause any symptoms, which means most people who have it don't realise and don't have any problems.
But sometimes the virus can cause painless growths or lumps around your vagina, penis or anus (known as genital warts).
Genital warts appear on their own or in a group (groups of warts can look like a cauliflower.
They may feel soft or firm, and be white, red, skin-coloured, or darker than the surrounding skin.
Source: NHS
Safe sex practices
Using condoms consistently and correctly during sexual activity can significantly reduce the risk of HPV transmission, though they don't offer complete protection as HPV can affect areas not covered by the condom.
Dental dams can also be used to reduce the risk of transmission during oral sex.
And being in a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who also has only had sex with you can also reduce the risk.
Screening and testing
Regular screenings, such as Pap tests and HPV tests, can help detect HPV and abnormal cell changes early, allowing for timely intervention and prevention of cervical cancer.
Guidelines recommend starting Pap test screening at age 21 and continuing until age 65 for most women.
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