Cunnilingus And Throat Cancer-Fact vs. Fiction

Mike Douglas

First it was Angelina Jolie getting top media billing with her revelation that she had double mastectomy because she tested positive for BRCA gene and was at great risk for developing breast cancer. Now Michael Douglas raised eyebrows when he cited oral sex as the cause of his throat cancer. We do know that Mr. Douglas has a history of smoking, which is known risk factor for developing throat cancer.

The tonsil and base of tongue area are areas of concern for cancer caused by a strain of HPV, or human papillomavirus. This virus can be transmitted through oral sex. However, it doesn’t mean that everyone who engages in oral sex is going to get this type of cancer. It’s actually a small percentage of people who contract the virus and don’t have an immune system that can kill the virus.

HPV does cause many cases of cervical cancer in women and is also associated with penile, anal and vaginal cancers.

Help is available to prevent these infections with a vaccine.
The three series vaccination is most effective in people up to the age of 26. It is best to have young boys and girls vaccinated before they have become sexually active. But the most important thing you can do is to be careful. The same way you would act to avoid contracting HIV. The more promiscuous you are, and the more partners you have, the more at risk you are. Use common sense and don’t take sexual risks.

Preventive Healthcare For Women – What You Need To Know

Women have had an interaction with the healthcare profession from birth to old age. They have achieved good health as a result of frequent visits to their doctors and practiced good health habits. This blog is written for the purpose of providing women with suggestions for continuing the process of maintaining good health.

Why Screening Tests Are Important
Remember that old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Getting checked early can help you stop diseases like cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis in the very beginning, when they’re easier to treat. Screening tests can spot illnesses even before you have symptoms. Which screening tests you need depends on your age, family history, your own health history, and other risk factors.

Breast Cancer
The earlier you find breast cancer, the better your chance of a cure. Small breast-cancers are less likely to spread to lymph nodes and vital organs like the lungs and brain. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, your health care provider should perform a breast exam as part of your regular check-up every one to three years. You may need more frequent screenings if you have any extra risk factors.

Screening With Mammography
Mammograms are low-dose X-rays that can often find a lump before you ever feel it, though normal results don’t completely rule out cancer. While you’re in your 40s, you should have a mammogram every year. Then between ages 50 and 74, switch to every other year. Of course, your doctor may recommend more frequent screenings if you’re at higher risk.
Cervical Cancer
With regular Pap smears, cervical cancer (pictured) is easy to prevent. The cervix is a narrow passageway between the uterus (where a baby grows) and the vagina (the birth canal). Pap smears find abnormal cells on the cervix, which can be removed before they ever turn into cancer. The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), a type of STD.
Screening for Cervical Cancer
During a Pap smear, your doctor scrapes some cells off your cervix and sends them to a lab for analysis. A common recommendation is that you should get your first Pap smear by age 21, and every two years after that. If you’re 30 or older, you can get HPV tests, too, and wait a little longer between Pap smears. Both screenings are very effective in finding cervical cancer early enough to cure it.
Vaccines for Cervical Cancer
Two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, can protect women under 26 from several strains of HPV. The vaccines don’t protect against all the cancer-causing strains of HPV, however. So routine Pap smears are still important. What’s more, not all cervical cancers start with HPV.
Osteoporosis and Fractured Bones
Osteoporosis is a state when a person’s bones are weak and fragile. After menopause, women start to lose more bone mass, but men get osteoporosis, too. The first symptom is often a painful break after even a minor fall, blow, or sudden twist. In Americans age 50 and over, the disease contributes to about half the breaks in women and 1 in 4 among men. Fortunately, you can prevent and treat osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Screening Tests
A special type of X-ray called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can measure bone strength and find osteoporosis before breaks happen. It can also help predict the risk of future breaks. This screening is recommended for all women age 65 and above. If you have risk factors for osteoporosis, you may need to start sooner.
Skin Cancer
There are several kinds of skin cancer, and early treatment can be effective for them all. The most dangerous is melanoma (shown here), which affects the cells that produce a person’s skin coloring. Sometimes people have an inherited risk for this type of cancer, which may increase with overexposure to the sun. Basal cell and squamous cell are common non-melanoma skin cancers.
Screening for Skin Cancer
Watch for any changes in your skin markings, including moles and freckles. Pay attention to changes in their shape, color, and size. You should also get your skin checked by a dermatologist or other health professional during your regular physicals.
High Blood Pressure
As you get older, your risk of high blood pressure increases, especially if you are overweight or have certain bad health habits. High blood pressure can cause life-threatening heart attacks or strokes without any warning. So working with your doctor to control it can save your life. Lowering your blood pressure can also prevent long-term dangers like heart disease and kidney failure.
Screening for High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure readings include two numbers. The first (systolic) is the pressure of your blood when your heart beats. The second (diastolic) is the pressure between beats. Normal adult blood pressure is below 120/80. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is 140/90 or above. In between is prehypertension, a sort of early warning stage. Ask your doctor how often to have your blood pressure checked.
Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol can cause plaque to clog your arteries (seen here in orange). Plaque can build up for many years without symptoms, eventually causing a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking can all cause plaque to build up, too. It’s a condition called hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. Lifestyle changes and medications can lower your risk.
Checking Your Cholesterol
To get your cholesterol checked, you’ll need to fast for 12 hours. Then you’ll take a blood test that measures total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, HDL “good” cholesterol, and triglycerides (blood fat). If you’re 20 or older, you should get this test at least every five years.
Type 2 Diabetes
One-third of Americans with diabetes don’t know they have it. Diabetes can cause heart or kidney disease, stroke, blindness from damage to the blood vessels of the retina (shown here), and other serious problems. You can control diabetes with diet, exercise, weight loss, and medication, especially when you find it early. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.
Screening for Diabetes
You’ll probably have to fast for eight hours or so before having your blood tested for diabetes. A blood sugar level of 100-125 may show prediabetes; 126 or higher may mean diabetes. Other tests include the A1C test and the oral glucose tolerance test. If you’re healthy and have a normal diabetes risk, you should be screened every three years starting at age 45. Talk to your doctor about getting tested earlier if you have a higher risk, like a family history of diabetes.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It’s spread through sharing blood or body fluids with an infected person, such as through unprotected sex or dirty needles. Pregnant women with HIV can pass the infection to their babies. There is still no cure or vaccine, but early treatment with anti-HIV medications can help the immune system fight the virus.
HIV Screening Tests
HIV can be symptom-free for many years. The only way to find out if you have the virus is with blood tests. The ELISA or EIA test looks for antibodies to HIV. If you get a positive result, you’ll need a second test to confirm the results. Still, you can test negative even if you’re infected, so you may need to repeat the test. Everyone should get tested at least once between ages 13-64.
Preventing the Spread of HIV
Most newly infected people test positive around two months after being exposed to the virus. But in rare cases it may take up to six months to develop HIV antibodies. Use a condom during sex to avoid getting or passing on HIV or other STDs. If you have HIV and are pregnant, talk with your doctor about reducing the risk to your unborn child.
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer. Most colon cancers come from polyps (abnormal masses) that grow on the inner lining of the large intestine. The polyps may or may not be cancerous. If they are, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Removing polyps early, before they become cancerous, can prevent it completely.
Screening for Colorectal Cancer
A colonoscopy is a common screening test for colorectal cancer. While you’re mildly sedated, a doctor inserts a small flexible tube equipped with a camera into your colon. If she finds a polyp, she can often remove it right then. Another type of test is a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which looks into the lower part of the colon. If you’re at average risk, screening usually starts at age 50.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma happens when pressure builds up inside your eye. Without treatment, it can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness. Often, it produces no symptoms until your vision has already been damaged.
Glaucoma Screening
How often you should get your eyes checked depends on your age and risk factors. They include being African-American or Hispanic, being over 60, eye injury, steroid use, and a family history of glaucoma. People without risk factors or symptoms of eye disease should get a baseline eye exam, including a test for glaucoma, at age 40.
Bottom Line: It’s good health sense to talk with your doctor about screening tests. Some tests, such as a Pap test or breast exam, should be a routine part of every woman’s health care. Other tests might be necessary based on your risk factors. Proper screening won’t always prevent a disease, but it can often find a disease early enough to give you the best chance of overcoming it.

Vaccine and Hygiene For Preventing HPV STD

Vaccines are available to guard against a variety of different
infections and illnesses and are indicated for a number of different
patient populations. This blog will focus on human papillomavirus
(HPV).

Most HPV infections are asymptomatic and typically resolve in 1-2
years. the HPV infection is not female specific as the infection can
cause genital warts, warts in the throat, oral and anal cancers. The
HPV vaccine can prevent most of these cases if the vaccine is given
before exposure to the virus. If the HPV vaccine is given at an early
enough age, the vaccine can also prevent vaginal cancer in females.

Two vaccines have been developed for the prevention of HPV and both
vaccines are offered as a 3-dose series that is typically completed
over six months.

Gardasil vaccine provides immunity against HPV infections of 6, 11,
16, and 18 genotypes. Genotypes 6 and 11 are associated with the
majority fo cases of condyloma accuminata or genital warts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended
the routine use of Gardasil for boys and young men 9-26 years of age
for the prevention of genital warts and other HPV related disease in
men and bosy. It is recommended that boys and men receiving the
injections complete the entire series for maximum protection.

Bottom Line: HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease, most
infections are asymptomatic, however certain types can casue cancer of
the penis, vagina, and throat. Early vaccination in both boys and
girls helps prevent infection and future complications. For more
information contact your physician or pediatrician.

Safe Sex For Seniors

The days of the dirty old man are over. Let the truth be told; older men and women want to remain sexually active. Seniors have more open attitudes toward sexuality, better health among seniors, the option for Internet dating, and the availability of medications like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis, many older adults are remaining sexually active. It is important to emphasize that seniors are also vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) just as younger adults. Therefore it is important that seniors make certain that they are practicing safe sex. This article will provide suggestions for safe sex for seniors.

Do your homework. Seniors need to know your partner’s sexual background before having sex. This includes oral sex, anal sex, as well as vaginal sex. All types of sexual intimacy can spread STDs. It is important for seniors to talk about their sexual histories, and tell one another whether they have recently been tested for STDs and share with each other the results of those tests. It is also important to ask if there has ever been a history of injecting illegal drugs. HIV/AIDS can also be spread via a shared hypodermic needles though the most common risk factor for older women is sex with an infected man.

Make sure you can pass this test! The best way to protect yourself and your partner is for both partners to get tested for HIV and other STDs before starting to have sex. If one of the partners has not been tested, then it is imperative that the tested partner encourage the other partner to obtain testing. Remember that STDs don’t always cause obvious symptoms such as a rash, discharge, fever, or urinary symptoms. Also, some symptoms of STDs or HIV, such as fatigue, can be mistaken for age-related health problems such as low testosterone levels in men.

Condoms count. I suggest that seniors use a condom as well as a lubricant every time you have sex until you are in a monogamous relationship and your know your partner’s sexual history and HIV status. Lubricants such as KY Jelly are important because they can lower the odds of getting a sore or a tiny cut on the penis or inside the vagina. These sores or cuts can significantly increase the risk of getting STDs.

Bring your doctor into the equation. Your doctor can offer additional advice about protecting yourself from STDs. He or she can also recommend treatments for common sexual problems such as vaginal dryness and erectile dysfunction (ED).

It is quote common for senior women to have vaginal dryness as a result of estrogen deficiency. Vaginal dryness results in discomfort when a woman engages in sexual intercourse and can make for an uncomfortable experience. Solutions range from over the counter moisturizers and lubricants or the use of supplemental estrogen prescribed by your doctor. Estrogen can be given by pills, topical vaginal creams and estrogen impregnated rings that are inserted into the vagina.

Though ED is more common with age, it isn’t an inevitable part of the aging process. ED is often due to an underlying medical condition such as heart disease, diabetes, or the side effects of medication. As a result there is a likelihood of nervousness with the onset of a new relationship. Since ED may be the first sign of an underlying medical condition, it’s particularly important to speak with your doctor if you are having difficulty obtaining or holding an erection adequate for sexual intimacy.

It is not uncommon for seniors to have lost a partner and to go without sexual intimacy for months or years after losing a spouse. Consequently, there is anxiety associated with embarking on a new sexual relationship. Occasionally, counseling is in order to help the seniors jump start their sex lives.

There are numerous medications for ED, which are not recommended for men who use any form of nitroglycerin. Other treatments for ED include testosterone replacement therapy for men who have symptoms of decreased libido, lethargy, and falling asleep after meals. Finally, there are operations which includes penile implants for men where oral medications are not effective.

Bottom Line: It is acceptable and even normal of seniors to engage in sexual intimacy. If a man and women are healthy, are free of STDs, and wish to be sexually intimate, they can plan to successfully engage in sexual intimacy. In 2012, no one needs to suffer the tragedy of the bedroom.

Is oral sex worse than tobacco?! … Say it ain’t so!

Caroline May – The Daily Caller – Tue Feb 22, 11:54 am ET

Oral sex — not tobacco — could now be the leading cause of throat cancer among people under 50!

American scientists now say that oral cancer caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) has become more prevalent in the U.S. than oral cancer caused by tobacco.  Scientists have found a 225 percent increase in the number of oral cancer cases in the U.S. during the last three decades.  The single greatest risk factor is the number of partners on whom the person has performed oral sex. Studies have shown that people who have performed oral sex on more than six partners have an eight times greater risk of developing head or neck cancer than their perhaps less promiscuous peers.

In the last two decades, incidents of oral cancer in the U.S. from HPV have doubled.

 

HPV has gotten attention in recent years for causing cervical cancer in women.  Some states now mandate recommend Gardasil as preventative vaccines. With this troubling data, however, researchers are advising boys and men to get vaccinated as well.

in mass vaccinations, there is no fail safe.

 

Teenagers really have no idea that oral sex is related to any outcome like STIs (sexually transmitted infections), HPV, chlamydia etc.

 

Bottom Line: Cigarettes are bad and cause more than oral cancer.  Oral sex may be a vehicle for transmitting a STD and one of the best preventions is to get the vaccination, Gardasil.

 

Vaccinations for the Penis

You may have heard of the common STD condyloma or veneral warts which are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).  Women have a vaccine (Gardisil) to reduce the risk of condyloma and cervical cancer. HPV can cause certain cancers of the anus and penis in men, although those diseases are far less common than cervical cancer in women. An estimated 20 million Americans, men and women, are currently infected with HPV. Symptoms are rare, however, so most people have the virus — and pass it on — without realizing it.

Now boys and young men who receive the human papillomavirus vaccine appear to be at reduced risk of contracting the virus and developing the genital warts associated with the common sexually transmitted disease, according to a large international study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Vaccinating men provides a benefit in that fewer men with HPV will also mean that fewer women are exposed to the cancer causing virus.

In an effort to prevent cervical cancer, which can be caused by HPV, public health officials have been encouraging young women to get vaccinated since the Food and Drug Administration approved the first HPV vaccine, Gardasil, in 2006. The vaccine has been approved for boys and men since 2009.

Gardasil is given in a series of three injections. In the study, which included more than 4,000 sexually active males between the ages of 16 and 26, roughly 0.5 percent of the boys and men who received all three shots developed genital warts during the subsequent 2 to 3 years. By contrast, about 2.8 percent of the study participants who received a placebo vaccine developed warts.

Earlier this week, for the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics included the HPV vaccine on its list of recommended vaccines for boys.  Most health insurance plans cover HPV vaccination for both males and females.

Bottom Line:  HPV is a common STD.  Vaccines are now available to prevent the development of the lesions in men and reduce the risk of cervical cancer in men.  If you are a young man or have young sexually active boys, contact your doctor or pediatrician for more information.

http://bit.ly/hPlegx

Safe Sex May Be Just A Spray Away!-Spray On Condoms

Good news for men whose penises are either so large or so small that they can’t find a condom to fit them: A German inventor has come up with a sprayed-to-measure system that should ensure a snug fit for even the most unusual sizes.

A German condom expert has developed a “spray-on condom” system in the form of a pump that squirts out liquid latex that cover the erect penis with a latex sheath.  If you go into a drug store to buy condoms, the ones they sell are mainly suited to men with the average penis length of 5.5 inches, but a lot of people have penises that are smaller or larger than that. Jan Krause, director of the Institute for Condom Consultancy, thought developing a condom that fits the man rather than the man fitting the condom.

The system works a bit like a car wash. The man put his penis in a chamber and presses a button to start the jets of liquid latex. A puff of latex is delivered to the penis forming a condom around the penis that is form-fitting and customized exactly for the man.  The rubber dries in seconds and is later rolled off and discarded like a conventional condom.

The spray-on condom will be more expensive than conventional ones. The cost is around €1 or $1.39 per condom, compared with around 50 cents per conventional sheath.

The condoms will be available in red, green, yellow and transparent, but they won’t come in different flavors!

Bottom Line: The spray on condom gives new meaning to “Puff the Magic Dragon”!

 

The Vaccine For HPV Infections in Women

Human papillomavirus (HPV)causes one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STD). HPV can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms.  Some of these viruses may cause abnormal PAP tests and may also lead to cancer of the cervix.  This article will discuss the incidence, diagnosis, and treatment of HPV.

Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection.

Some HPVs may cause genital warts. Genital warts are single or multiple growths or bumps that appear in the genital area. Genital warts usually appear as soft, moist, pink, or flesh-colored swellings, usually in the genital area. They can be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large, and sometimes cauliflower shaped. They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. After sexual contact with an infected person, warts may appear within weeks or months, or not at all.  Genital warts are diagnosed by visual inspection. Visible genital warts can be removed by medications the patient applies, or by removing the warts in the doctor’s office.

Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal PAP tests. A PAP test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV. Also, a specific test, HPV-DNA, is available to detect the virus in women. The results of HPV-DNA testing can help health care providers decide if further tests or treatment are necessary.

Approximately 1\3 of HPV viruses can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer.  Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with “high-risk” types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.  Cervical cancer is the second leading cancer killer of women worldwide.  About 10,520 American women will develop invasive cervical cancer and about 3,900 women will die from this disease. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening.  With early detection, cervical cancer is usually treatable.

A PAP test can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells on the cervix. Regular PAP testing and careful medical follow-up, with treatment if necessary, can help ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer. The PAP test is responsible for greatly reducing deaths from cervical cancer.

Currently, the only HPV vaccine approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration is Gardasil, which protects against some strains of HPV.  It is recommended that the vaccine be given to girls between 11 and 12 years of age, before they become sexually active. The vaccine, which consists of three shots totaling $360, protects against strains of the virus that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

There are no serious side effects from the vaccine.  The only problems noted were mild soreness around the site of the injection and occasionally, a slight temperature.

Bottom Line: HPV is a common virus that affects millions of American men and women.  The virus is responsible for some cases of cervical cancer.  Tests are available to identify which patients are likely to have the virus and which cases need to be treated.  A vaccine is available which can help prevent HPV infections if given to girls before they become sexually active.  See your physician for more information.