Greetings everyone! I’m Jhay Rocas, one of the new writers/editors for Froodee. It’s so nice to be able to publish my very first post here but I’m sure you’ve already enjoyed the earlier goodies brought to you by my fellow Froodee bloggers. That earlier piece about a Paris Hilton-inspired sculpture in particular was a good one.

Today however, I’d like to introduce you to a new feature column of Froodee, and it’s all about health. Yup, living in today’s Web 2.0 world is not all worth it if your friends, fellow bloggers, clients and YouTube channel followers would see you on the strangely-thin and ill-looking side. We must look our best for that Flickr or Zooomr (I use the latter) photo moment or that Digg-inducing vid-cast. We must not only look our best but also feel our best, mentally, physically, psychologically and physiologically. To do that all we have to do is stay healthy and the way my self and Froodee would help you with that is by bringing you the latest buzz about health, healthy living, health news and research.

Hence, the name of this column; An Apple Today, which of course came from that infamous kindergarten saying, “An apple today, keeps the doctors away.”

A word of caution though, the features that would be appearing under this column is to not to be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice and service. We are not doctors, just health conscious bloggers eager to share a few health-related news and know-how to you our most beloved readers because at the end of the day, we would tell you to see your doctor anyways.

Rest assured though that An Apple Today would deliver healthy doses of medical and life science info at least twice a week. In fact, you first dose begins in the following sections below.

Dreadful (I just don’t know to whom though) as it may sound, latest research has shown that oral sex can lead to throat cancer. Talk about kicking things off with something eyebrow-raising, heck, after all this post comes after that Paris Hilton sculpture.

Anyways,

The same virus that causes cervical cancer is the principal cause of throat cancer, according to a new study.

The research also suggests that unprotected oral sex is a major reason people are contracting throat cancer - not just smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, as previously believed.

“It’s the human papillomavirus that drives the cancer,” said Maura Gillison, assistant professor of oncology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., and lead author of the study.

She said the more oral-sex partners a person has, the greater the risk of contracting oral cancers (located in the tonsils, back of the tongue and throat). The good news is that the risk remains low over all.

“People should be reassured that oropharyngeal cancer is relatively uncommon, and the overwhelming majority of people with an oral HPV infection probably will not get throat cancer,” Dr. Gillison said.

Don’t be alarmed though, as vaccines for the papillomavirus does exist and its quite readily available. In fact, $300-million has been set aside for an HPV vaccination program targeted at girls ages 9 to 11. Homophobes and religious zealots, as Sassy lawyer quips, will certainly use this health news to go on an spree of bigotry and close-minded conservatism against the liberal ones.

On the other hand, the liberal ones, particularly the homosexuals, bisexuals and those who are not biologically female would ask and naturally complain, “Why vaccinate only the girls?”

Perhaps the vaccine works only on the females since the virus it targets attack the cervix first and would only end up in the throats of those who are brave and adventurous to go down there.

Those who do not get the vaccine need not to worry that much as medical experts say that throat cancer is quite rare and the ones caused by the HPV virus is even rarer. However, this is no excuse not to use protection when engaging in any sexual activity. Because faithful or not to your religion, you’re still at risk of getting other sexually transmitted diseases.

So for your sake, please be safe.

Of course, hat tip goes to Sassy lawyer.

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