Health 26 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
President Museveni's Oral Sex Warning Gains New Relevance Amid HPV Throat Cancer Link
Uganda's President Museveni warned in 2018 that the mouth is for eating, not sex, dismissing oral sex as a Western import. Recent CDC data linking HPV from oral sex to 60-70% of US throat cancers has reignited debates, challenging young people's dismissal of his advice. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/entertainment/the-mouth-is-for-eating-okurya--5403382
In 2018, President Yoweri Museveni issued a stark public warning during a national address, condemning oral sex as a harmful practice pushed by Western influences. He emphatically stated that ‘the mouth is for eating – okurya,’ not for sex, emphasizing clarity on where sex belongs.
Younger Ugandans largely brushed off the remarks with laughter, but a fresh CDC study has brought the issue back into focus. It reveals that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), primarily spread through oral sex, causes 60-70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the US, surpassing tobacco and alcohol as risk factors.
HPV can lie dormant for years, spreading unknowingly, though most cases clear up within two years. The findings have sparked heated social media reactions, with some denying the science and others facing relationship dilemmas over lost pleasures.
This connection isn’t new; actor Michael Douglas publicly blamed oral sex for his throat cancer over a decade ago while advocating awareness. In public health circles, efforts to roll out HPV vaccines in Sub-Saharan Africa faced hesitancy, mainly for girls aged 9-14 to prevent cervical cancer, with growing calls to vaccinate boys too.
Experts ponder if promoting HPV testing and vaccination is more feasible than curbing sexual practices or adopting barriers like dental dams. Sexual health professionals face ongoing challenges in promoting safety.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)