The Oral Sex Cancer Connection

In some cases, oral sex is linked to throat cancer.

HPV Oral Cancer: Who's at Risk?

Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible.

While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners. So straight or gay, the more partners, the more risk.

"That doesn't mean it's a magic number. Unfortunately, it only takes exposure to one infected partner to actually acquire the infection," Gillison said.

Infection with the virus usually happens in adolescence. And while oral sex today isn't necessarily more prevalent than it was in the past, it certainly is more accepted. And some often presume it is free of risks.

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Disturbing Link: Oral Sex & Throat Cancer

A 2005 study in the Journal Pediatrics found that teens think oral sex is less risky to their health than vaginal sex.

"I think it's obvious right now to really say that oral sex is not a safe way of having sex and it could have consequences," Haddad said.

"The risks associated with it don't get as much press as the risks you can see with vaginal sex," Rome said. "You don't see someone pregnant after oral sex."

And many don't even know they've contracted HPV and Dillon was one of those people.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find anybody," she said, "who would say that I'm promiscuous, because I'm not."

Dillon, who after six months of grueling chemotherapy is now in remission, said she wishes she had known the risk as a teen.

"You have to be careful. Know who you're with and you have to take precautions. You need to educate yourself. You need to know what's going on," Dillon said.