Michael Douglas Says Oral Sex Gave Him Throat Cancer

Michael Douglas, shown here attending the Cannes Film Festival in France on May 21, 2013. CREDIT: cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

Michael Douglas believes that giving oral sex is what led to his throat cancer.

At least, that's what Douglas indicated in an interview with The Guardian published on Sunday (June 2).

When asked whether smoking and drinking for many years contributed to the throat cancer that the actor revealed he had in 2010, Douglas said no.

He said, "No. Because, without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus."

After explaining that stress from his son's incarceration may have also played a role, he continued, "It's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer."

Douglas is correct in that HPV can be contracted though oral sex, and can cause cancer of the throat  and oral cavity, studies have shown.

Oral HPV infection is more common in men than women, according to a study published in 2012 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In that study, 10 percent of men ages 14 to 69 had an oral HPV infection, compared with 3.6 percent of women.

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