Oral sex is worse than smoking for throat cancer, doctor claims

November 1, 2023

A young doctor says oral sex is a greater risk factor than smoking in the development of throat cancer.

Dr. Daria Sadovskaya made the declaration in a viral TikTok video — despite the American Cancer Society (ACS) citing tobacco use as the number one risk factor for the illness, known as oropharyngeal cancer.

“Are you saying oral sex is proven to be the number one cause of throat cancer?” one TikTok user asked Sadovskaya, who responded with a video bluntly stating: “I said what I said.”

The ACS does cite oral sex as one potential cause of throat cancer, given that the human papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV, can be transmitted during the act.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with an estimated 13 million new cases in the US each year. It is so prevalent that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “nearly all sexually active men and women get the virus at some point in their lives.”

While HPV usually goes away on its own within two years, most people don’t realize they have it, meaning they can unwittingly spread the disease.

“Men are more likely to develop throat cancer performing oral sex on women, as women are more likely to carry the [HPV] virus in their genital area,” Sadovskya stated.

Indeed, men were more significantly impacted by HPV-linked oropharyngeal cancer, with diagnosis rates rising 2.8% annually in men from 2015 to 2019, according to the ACS.

However, rates also rose 1.3% among women, with Sadovskya advising men to wear condoms if they are receiving oral sex.

The expert’s video clocked up 52,000 views, but one user said they weren’t prepared to give up oral sex in spite of the risk.

“This won’t stop me,” the brazenly declared.

Actor Michael Douglas told The Guardian back in 2013 that oral sex was the cause of throat cancer.

“Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus,” he stated at the time.

In 2021, researchers discovered that people with 10 or more oral sex partners were more than four times more likely to develop HPV-related mouth and throat cancers.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 41% of teens from 15 to 19 participate in oral sex.

Young people ages 15 to 24 were responsible for nearly half of the 26 million new STD infections in 2018.

There are hopes, however, that the HPV vaccine could help mitigate the rates of throat cancer in the future.

Currently, the HPV vaccine is aimed at preventing reproductive cancers, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it does offer protection against the strains of the virus that also cause oropharyngeal cancer.

The current guidance in the US advises 11- and 12-year-olds to receive two doses of the HPV vaccine, but individuals from the ages of 9 to 26 are approved to receive it.

Yet only about 54% of adolescents had received the vaccine as of 2020.

Dr. Eric Adjei Boakye examined the lack of knowledge surrounding HPV for the American Association for Cancer Research earlier this year.

“Over 90% of HPV-associated cancers could be prevented with the HPV vaccination, yet vaccine uptake remains suboptimal,” he determined.