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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Youths' Knowledge and Perceptions of Health Risks Associated With Unprotected Oral Sex
Arianna Strome1, N'dea Moore-Petinak2, Marika Waselewski3
1University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Purpose:
Although rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck cancers associated with oral sex are increasing, less than 10% of youths report using protection. This study aims to assess youths' knowledge and perceptions of oral sex risk and barriers to protection use.
Methods:
Our study uses MyVoice, a national text message poll of youths aged 14-24 years. Four open-ended probes were fielded to 1,215 youths in March 2019. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and quantitative data were summarized with descriptive statistics.
Results:
Nine hundred and nine youths responded to the survey (relative risk [RR]=74.8%). Youths' responses regarding why protection is frequently not used centered around: lack of education (22.4%), no perceived STI risk (19.8%), decreased pleasure (19.3%), and no pregnancy risk (15.7%). Youths believed that comprehensive education (53.7%), normalization in popular culture and media (19.1%), increased access to protection (15%), and improved protection options (10.5%) would increase protection use during oral sex.
Conclusion:
Youths demonstrated limited knowledge of the risks of oral sex, dissatisfaction with current protection options, and a need for normalization in popular culture. Programs developed with youths in mind may be able to successfully increase protection use and decrease rates of STI transmission and oral sex-related HPV head and neck cancer.VISUAL ABSTRACT.
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