"Media Mum on Oral Sex and Throat Cancer Risk Among Kids"

"Media Mum on Oral Sex and Throat Cancer Risk Among Kids"

Media Mum on Oral Sex and Throat Cancer Risk Among Kids

By Miriam Grossman, M.D.
CNSNews . com Commentary
August 8, 2007

Smoking rates have gone down in New York City thanks to a campaign
called "Nothing Will Ever Be the Same," featuring an unfortunate
individual by the name of Ronaldo Martinez.

"Smoking gave me throat cancer at 39," says a poster showing Mr.
Martinez holding a metal device against his neck. "Now I breathe
through a hole in my throat and need this machine to speak."

The TV ad is more disturbing. Kids swim underwater in slow motion and
happily splash about in a pool to the sound of a guitar. Mr. Martinez
strolls nearby, fully clothed. An eerie, synthesized voice tells us,
"I was born on an island where swimming was a way of life. I never
thought that anything could keep me from the water. Then I got cancer
from smoking cigarettes and lost my voice and have to speak through a
hole in my throat. If water gets inside, it will drown me-I used to
love swimming."

Scare tactics? You bet. But as a result, says The New York Times,
thousands of New Yorkers have quit the habit. The campaign, created in
Massachusetts, was praised by public health officials in both states.
The implication? The ends justify the means.

I'm with The New York Times on this one. When it comes to prevention
of a life-threatening illness, you remove the kid gloves and tell it
like it is.

Then why, I wonder, do we hear nothing of another widespread behavior
associated with malignant tumors of the mouth and throat?

The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that cancer of
the tonsils and base of the tongue are rising annually, and the
evidence that oral HPV infection can cause these tumors is
"compelling." Having more than five oral-sex partners increased the
risk of these malignancies by 250 percent.

The Journal's conclusion: "The widespread oral sex practices among
adolescents may be a contributing factor in this increase."

Teens consider oral sex less risky and more acceptable. No doubt
that's why 20 percent of ninth graders and 50 percent of all teens
have engaged in it. Ninth graders, by the way, are around 14 years
old.

What to do? The scientists contend: Because these oral cancers occur
in both sexes, and are associated with the same HPV strains targeted
by the new vaccine, we now have a reason to vaccinate both boys and
girls.

Was that Merck's stock I just heard go through the roof? Or was it the
sound of lawmakers clamoring to legislate mandatory vaccinations of
all fourth graders against an STI?

Sure, the vaccine is a formidable biotechnological feat. But it
provides incomplete protection, it has unknowns, and costs $360 per
child.

Why then is the solution to risky behavior a vaccine, and not
behavioral change? Because radical liberalism permeates the field of
sexual health, and to the Left, smoking is a loathsome evil, while
casual sex is empowering and fun.

As we contemplate this calamity, I have a suggestion for health
educators: Stop encouraging our children to "explore" and "experiment"
with sexuality. Replace that message with a hearty dose of scare
tactics, a la Mr. Martinez and his artificial voice.

Here's how I see it. A middle-aged woman is in her kitchen. "It was a
long time ago," she tells us, "when I was in middle school. I thought
it would be fun and make me popular. I'd stay a virgin, and not have
to worry about getting pregnant. Now I have cancer of my tongue. I'll
never eat my favorite foods again. The doctor says I have a 50 percent
chance of dying in the next five years. I never thought a rainbow
party could kill me."

If you're a parent of a tween, and unfamiliar with rainbow parties,
you've got some homework to do. And for those of you who put your
trust in latex, you need to know that "protection" is used in 9
percent of these encounters.

Mr. Martinez must see a doctor every three months to see if the cancer
has returned: "I'm always afraid of bad news." He holds the tobacco
companies responsible for his pain and suffering.

The study showing an association between oral sex and oral cancer was
published in May of this year. But I've seen no urgent warnings, red
alerts, or press releases being issued by pediatricians or specialists
in adolescent health.

Who will today's seventh-grader blame in the future, when she learns
that health experts whitewashed the dangers of her cancer-causing
activities?

Miriam Grossman, M.D., is a senior fellow with the Clare Boothe Luce
Policy Institute and the author of the book, "Unprotected: A Campus
Psychiatrist Reveals How Political Correctness in Her Profession
Endangers Every Student."


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