4 years ago actor Michael Douglas told a reporter that his throat cancer was caused by HPV contracted through oral sex.
There were lots off gossip and jokes, but Douglas' cancer shed light on a very serious issue.
Medical officials say there is no doubt that the increase in HPV-related cancers, like the one Douglas described, is caused by cunnilingus.
Doctors are working to better treat and prevent what is becoming the one type of oral cancer that is on the rise, especially among young men.
Every year there are about 12,638 men and 3,100 women in the U.S. who are diagnosed with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, which is relatively small according to the CDC.
But those numbers are expected to rise, overtaking incidence of cervical cancer by 2020. Health agencies are really pushing hard for HPV vaccinations, which they say could prevent most cancers.
The CDC says all 11- and 12-year-olds should be vaccinated, and last year the FDA approved a new two-dose series for children ages 9-14.
Chris Damico and Dr. Erich Sturgis will talk with us today about cunnilingus cancer risk.