This post originally appeared at Fellowship of the Minds
There are consequences to behaviors.
One of the consequences of anal sex is anal cancer.
Last September, The Conversation (which describes itself as “academic rigor, journalistic flair) reported on an “anal cancer epidemic” among gay and bisexual men.
According to the American Cancer Society, although anal cancer is fairly rare – much less common than cancer of the colon or rectum — the number of new anal cancer cases has been rising for many years. It is estimated there will be 8,580 new anal cancer cases in 2018. In the absence of national screening recommendations, more than 50% of these individuals will be diagnosed at stage III or IV, when five-year survival is less than 40%. In other words, this is a major public health concern.
The Conversation identified two risk factors:
(1) Being HIV-positive, the virus that leads to AIDS:
Almost 620,000 gay and bisexual men in the United States were living with HIV in 2014, and 100,000 of these men were not even aware of their infection. These men are 100 times more likely to have anal cancer than HIV-negative men who exclusively have sex with women. Yet, no national screening guidelines exist for anal cancer prevention in any population….
Some in the medical community have identified anal cancer as the next big crisis among HIV-infected gay and bisexual men. Initiation of anti-retroviral therapy in the 1990s greatly reduced the AIDS-related death rate and improved survival. However, this improvement in survival led to an increase in the lifetime risk of developing anal cancer, especially among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men.
The Conversation estimates that a 40-year-old HIV-positive male who has sex with males has an 8.2% lifetime risk of developing anal cancer, and a 4.8% risk of death from anal cancer.
(2) HPV (human papillomavirus) infection:
Anal cancer is typically preceded by persistent HPV infection that often leads to precancer. HPV is common among U.S. men; about one out of two men in the general population has HPV infection. HPV typically clears naturally; however, under certain circumstances, it might persist longer and might progress to anal precancer. If it remains undetected, untreated or inadequately treated, this precancer can progress to anal cancer.
Curiously, no where in The Conversation article is there mention of the behavior that puts one at risk for HIV-HPV infection and anal cancer — anal sex.
Openly ‘gay’ actor John Barrowman
But the American Cancer Society does identify certain sexual activities as risk-factors:
- Having multiple sex partners increases the risk of infection with HIV and HPV. It also increases the risk of anal cancer.
- Receptive anal sex also increases the risk of anal cancer in both men and women. Because of this, men who have sex with men have a high risk of this cancer.
The American Cancer Society also alerts us to another alarming fact about anal cancer: More women than men get anal cancer, and more women than men die from it. The Society’s estimates for anal cancer in 2018 are:
- About 8,580 new cases (5,620 in women and 2,960 in men)
- About 1,160 deaths (680 in women and 480 in men)
Beginning in the “gay” culture, anal sex has now been “popularized” among heterosexuals via systematic propaganda by the media and via pornography. See:
- Neutrogena spokeswoman actress Gabrielle Union advocates rimming
- Indiana University studies anal licking of Beyoncé and Jay-Z
But the simple truth is this: The human body is not designed to accommodate anal intercourse:
- The rectum is significantly different from the vagina with regard to suitability for penetration by a penis. The vagina has natural lubricants and is composed of a mucus membrane with a multi-layer stratified squamous epithelium that allows it to endure friction without damage and to resist the immunological actions caused by semen and sperm. In contrast, the anus is a delicate mechanism of small muscles that comprise an “exit-only” passage. With repeated trauma, friction and stretching, the sphincter loses its tone and its ability to maintain a tight seal. Consequently, anal intercourse leads to leakage of fecal material that can easily become chronic.
- The intestine has only a single layer of cells separating it from blood. Therefore, any organisms that are introduced into the rectum have a much easier time establishing a foothold for infection than they would in a vagina. The single layer tissue cannot withstand the friction associated with penile penetration, resulting in traumas that expose both participants to blood, organisms in feces, and a mixing of bodily fluids.
- Ejaculate has components that are immunosuppressive, designed to allow the sperm to evade the immune defenses of the female. The fragility of the anus and rectum, along with the immunosuppressive effect of ejaculate, make anal-genital intercourse a most efficient manner of transmitting HIV, HPV and other infections, as well as anal cancer.
Megan Fox of PJ Media writes:
Very little is written on the subject, even though we know anal prolapses, fissures, tears, and infections are common with anal sex. No one will report on it. Instead, Teen Vogue is writing “how to” guides about anal sex (and cancer) for your minor daughters. What we have here is a clear warning that putting things into the anus that don’t belong there is a very bad idea—and yet the media is unable to report that clearly. Why? Could it be the LGBTQWTF lobby doesn’t want them to? Researching the negative effects of anal sex is darn near impossible….
If anal sex puts people at high risk for an aggressive cancer, shouldn’t they know it?
