Signs of cancer caused by oral sex as actor describes his bizarre first symptom
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
Although it seems improbable, you can actually contract cancer from too much oral sex, with two American actors suffering that fate.
Michael Douglas was the first to open up about his struggles with stage four squamous cell carcinoma oral cancer, something he claimed happened as a result of human papillomavirus (HPV) caused by ‘cunnilingus’.
Essentially, HPV is most commonly associated with cervical cancer, which you would assume men cannot contract since they don't have cervixes, but it can translate into mouth or throat cancer.
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After Douglas opened up about his 2010 diagnosis that left him 'suffocating' and 'completely powerless', voice actor Sam Riegel, who was best known for his voice acting role on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, would follow suit, suggesting he contracted the disease in the same manner.
He said: “I was a happy, healthy father of two kids and husband to an incredible wife, just going about my life. I was honestly feeling great.”
However, in 2024 he realised that he couldn't taste anything sweet, noting on a podcast that his usual breakfast of oatmeal with blueberries and honey suddenly tasted bitter.
At first he assumed it was Covid but he was later diagnosed with tonsil cancer, in a variety called oropharyngeal carcinoma, with a doctor confirming the news after just one look at his tonsils. He later confirmed that it was down to HPV.
He said: “As a voice actor, I was particularly anxious about regaining my voice and diction.
“My salivary glands were damaged. My mouth was constantly dry. Scar tissue was tight in my throat, and neck muscles were raw.”
Fortunately, for both Sam and Michael, they would recover from the disease and continue their acting careers, although it was only through daily exercises that Sam could regain his voice.
He addedd:
“After months of physical therapy, my mouth strength and flexibility improved. And about a year after radiation, my taste and saliva came back.
“When it does come up, I’m able to laugh about my experiences and share tips with other folks going through it.”
Symptoms of oral HPV
It is important that you see a doctor if you notice these symptoms persisting, or if they are starting to worry you:
- Long-lasting sore throat
- Hoarseness
- Ear aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Pain when swallowing
- Unexplained weight loss
Some people have no symptoms, according to the US Centres For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though serious cases of HPV can cause warts or cancer.
What has Michael Douglas said about his throat cancer?
He told The Guardian in 2013: “That's a rough ride. That can really take it out of you.
"Plus the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak."
In his memoir One Helluva Ride, the Ant Man actor added that he 'hated every part' of the treatment as he had to lay still wearing a thermoplastic mesh mask that hardened.
"I felt like I was suffocating, completely powerless," he writes. "At first the pain was bad but manageable, but by the third week I was in real trouble."
Topics: Health, Michael Douglas
James Moorhouse
