iBiome

Science you can use

Retrospectacle: A Neuroscience Blog highlights a new study linking oral sex to throat cancer.  Apparently a strain of HPV contracted orally increased the risk of contracting a form of throat cancer 32-fold.  Another reason to support the HPV vaccine.

Furthermore, drinking and smoking did not exacerbate the risk of throat cancer in these patients---it was really *just* the virus. Despite this increased risk, the overall risk even for people who carried HPV, was very low. Its also important to note that the number of patients in the study was low (100 cancer patients, 200 normal controls) so the results should be replicated before you make...er....adjustments in your lifestyle.

It would extremely interesting to determine if the HPV vaccine can also protect against oropharyngeal cancer as well as cervical cancer. Hopefully, this lab or another is working on detmining [sic] that.

Interesting side note: the authors also pointed out that, "Poor dentition, infrequent toothbrushing,and infrequent dental visits have been associated with an increased risk of squamous-cell carcinomas of the head and neck." Wow! Not brushing your teeth increases your risk of cancer?! I'm going to brush them right now!

You've been warned.

the difference between a condom and a balloon

A few weeks ago my six year old daughter attended a presentation on sexual health at her school, put on by Saleema Noon.  Yesterday the presentation paid its first dividend.  My daughter and her friends found a used condom in the schoolyard.  Recognizing what it was, they called a teacher who had it removed. While waiting for the teacher, another kid picked up the condom and insisted it was a balloon, against the protests of his classmates, and proceeded to play with it.  Trust me when I say I am grateful my six year old sees a condom to avoid, rather than a balloon to play with.  Early education in sexual health is a good thing.

And they think so in Bali too:

Balinese teenagers, said the Doctor, preferred to have information and advice about sex to come from their teachers, rather than their parents, not surprisingly, and so Murjana urged that sex education be adopted as part of the national school curriculum, and not only taught in the biology classes of the science stream (IPA) at senior high school as at present. Such education should begin at junior high school, he added.