JAMA publishes Big Pharma funded junk science letter claiming tobacco use is associated with HPV infections

[Bill Godshall]

JAMA publishes Big Pharma funded junk study/letter confirming that people with multiple sex partners have increased risk for oral HPV infection. But authors (from Johns Hopkins) deceptively claim “tobacco use” is associated with HPV infections (even though tobacco users reported having more sex partners than non tobacco users, and just 2% of tobacco users reported an HPV infection) and wrongly combine all tobacco users into same group (including 23.3% of survey participants who reported cigarette smoking, 2.1% reported chewing tobacco use, .8% reported snuff use, and .2% reported pipe smoking). Godshall tries to post critique of study on press release/article, but HemOncToday refuses to post comments.
JAMA Network | JAMA | Tobacco Use and Oral HPV-16 Infection
Current tobacco use linked to oral HPV-16 infection | Hematology Oncology

 

[Anjaffm]

what is this nonsense?

 

[DrMA]

Don't worry. Glaxo will soon come up with a new HPV drug that you have to take 3x daily for the rest of your life to keep the infection under control.

 

[Kent C]

Don't worry. Glaxo will soon come up with a new HPV drug that you have to take 3x daily for the rest of your life to keep the infection under control.

Wonder if it will come in flavors...

 

[Stosh]

OK, I'm slow, are they saying smokers are having more sex, as it's a sexually transmitted infection?

Women perfer smokers??? . News like this could devastate ECF....

 

[Rickajho]

Wha? A new twist on the conservative "you're a ...." theories? "Doctor I won't allow my child to be vaccinated for HPV because I believe that it will only encourage her to be a ..... Someone has to put their foot down and Just Say No!"

Now, if you can't keep them from smoking - look what's going to happen - "an association" and "an observation" leading to a virus. Maybe. That's all it takes to ruin a reputation - ask any .... you know.

That is happening in JAMA these days? Really? Really - sad. Where do they think they are going to run with this "association"?

 

[LoveVanilla]

At least they don't claim vaping causes HPV -- yet. Of course, maybe they're just laying the groundwork for their case...

 

[dragonpuff]

OK, research scientists, repeat after me:

Correlation does not imply causation, correlation does not imply causation...

 

[csardaz]

Lots of HPV's, this one #16 is one of 2 that cause most cervical cancers. Lots of people get it, but it usually just goes away. Around 95% of people who get it test clear of the virus within 2 years without any treatment. I'd imagine more than 95% cleared up but some got re-infected? The cancer danger is the persistent cases where it doesn't clear up.

 

[Uma]

OK, I'm slow, are they saying smokers are having more sex, as it's a sexually transmitted infection?

Women perfer smokers??? . News like this could devastate ECF....

That's how I interpreted it too.
"Current tobacco users were more likely to be male, younger, have less education and have a higher number of lifetime oral sexual partners than non-tobacco users (P˂.001 for all)."
Smokers have more fun. Tighten those cheeks puritanicals, there might be a smoker behind you.

 

[Kent C]

That's how I interpreted it too.
"Current tobacco users were more likely to be male, younger, have less education and have a higher number of lifetime oral sexual partners than non-tobacco users (P˂.001 for all)."
Smokers have more fun. Tighten those cheeks puritanicals, there might be a smoker behind you.

Uh... again, what's the problem with dual use???

 

[Nate760]

Wow, smokers are so cool they have to differentiate between sex partners and oral sex partners.

 

[Kent C]

Wow, smokers are so cool they have to differentiate between sex partners and oral sex partners.

"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

 

[Nate760]

"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

In the interest of good taste, I will not be making any of the plethora of cigar jokes I currently have at my disposal.