Roger-Luc Chayer
We have known for some time that HPV (Human Papillomavirus or condyloma if you prefer) often causes cancer of the uterus in women if it is not treated and followed. However, new research confirms a sad news that will ultimately involve many men in the gay community. According to the CBC, « in a Canada-wide study whose results were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers estimate that the incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer would have increased by as much as 50% between 2000 and 2012. »
Worse, according to other studies and statistics, since HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in Canada, and is transmitted primarily through oral-genital contact, gay men will be exponentially more affected than the general population. . We must therefore predict that within a few years, and with the most popular sexual practices among MSM such as fellatio, we will probably see an outbreak of cancers of the throat, mouth or neck.
According to Santé Québec, « the family of human papillomavirus (HPV) has several types of viruses, of which more than 40 are sexually transmitted. Among these are HPVs at low risk of cancer, some of which cause high-risk condylomas and HPVs, which can cause cancer. Most men and women who have an active sex life will have an HPV infection at some point in their lives. A person may be infected with more than one type of HPV during his lifetime. It can also be infected more than once with the same type of HPV. »
Very often, infected people have no symptoms. A person can be infected without knowing it. Condylomas are warts that appear as small bumps on the skin or mucous membranes of the genitals or sometimes the throat. The condylomas appear between 3 weeks and several months or even years after infection. Without treatment, they usually disappear within a few years, but they can reappear after several months or years. Condyloma does not pose a health risk. They are neither cancerous nor precancerous.
An HPV infection with a high risk of cancer usually does not cause symptoms, but the lesions develop slowly into tumors that can, if not detected quickly, spread to nearby tissues and ultimately cause death. Another recent American study says that 30% of gay men are at risk for throat cancer, while these same men, if they are smokers, double their risk.
It is clear that there are many cases of cancer among LGBT people, and getting tested regularly is still a great way to prevent the worst. Obviously, it would be best to have responsible sexual practices and to protect oneself even for oral sex, since the condom without lubricant or fruit taste is an excellent alternative. For the youngest, there is a preventive vaccine, Gardasil, which provides excellent protection against most forms of HPV, including the most aggressive forms of cancer. You can get it for free under certain conditions, just talk to your doctor.