In a recent interview with The Guardian, Michael Douglas revealed that the type of throat cancer that he had can be caused by HPV contracted during oral sex.
He divulged the private details when he was asked if he regrets his years of smoking and drinking.
Douglas said, “No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus.”
He added, “I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. But yeah, it’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it.”
He dropped 45 pounds during an eight week course of chemotherapy and radiation and has been cancer free for two years. He remains optimistic about the future, “With this kind of cancer, 95 percent of the time it doesn’t come back.”
The Guardian asked Dr. Mahesh Kumar to weigh in, “It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer.”
Regarding his assertion that continuing to engage in oral sex will help cure the disease … Kumar wasn’t buying it. “Maybe he thinks that more exposure to the virus will boost his immune system. But medically, that just doesn’t make sense.”
UPDATE: Allen Burry, a longtime rep for Douglas, released this statement: “Michael Douglas did not say cunnilingus was the cause of his throat cancer. It was discussed that oral sex is a suspected cause of certain oral cancers.”
Douglas, 68, is married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. They have two children, Dylan, 12, and Carys, 10.
Photo Credit: WENN
