Ever thought you'd be talking to your dentist about your sex life? Maybe you should. The human papillomavirus - aka HPV - is now the most common sexually transmitted disease and one local researcher says dentists should talk to their patients about it. The disease is spread through oral sex making it an important topic for your dentist to go over with you even though it may be a little awkward.
Researcher Ellen Daley says it’s “an emerging topic for dentists and not really on they ever expect to talk about.” HPV is the cause of 72% of throat cancer, which can impact the base of the tongue and tonsils aka everything your dentist checks.
Apparently, some patients have already expressed concerns about oral cancers to their dentists. Daley says, “It’s time for dentists to be prepared to start talking about prevention methods.” So in case talking to your parents or doctors about sex wasn’t uncomfortable enough, you can add dentist to that list.
Source: Tampa Bay Times