Contemporary Sexuality - July 2008 - (Page 7)

Quick Hits: Sex in the News HPV may cause cancer in men The sexually transmitted infection known as HPV — human papillomavirus — can lead to cervical cancer in women. Now there’s evidence HPV may cause cancer of the tongue and tonsils in men. “Patients who have HPV infections are at higher risk for these cancers,” said Francis Worden, MD, University of Michigan assistant professor and author of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Of the 51 men with oral cancer in Worden’s study, 22 tested positive for HPV. However, there is a silver lining. The men who contracted cancer because of HPV responded better to chemotherapy. “The good news is that if that’s the cause of their cancer, they’re more likely to survive [longer following] treatment,” Worden said. Of the 28,900 Americans who contract oral cancer annually, nearly two-thirds are men. Added Worden, “The high risk of HPV-associated cancers in men suggests that vaccinating all adolescents is something that should strongly be considered.” The U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration has approved Gardasil, an HPV vaccine, for females ages 11-26. (New York Times, May 13) illegal. The criminal offense is the speech that offers to sell or trade in illegal material.” Arguing that the decision creates “a bizarre contradiction,” the New York Times editorial board disagreed. “Fake child pornography is protected, but marketing fake child pornography is not. As Justice Souter noted in dissent, it makes no sense to criminalize proposing to sell items that are themselves constitutionally protected.” (Los Angeles Times, May 20 and New York Times, May 20–21) U.S. Supreme Court building. Photo by Kjetel Ree “Fake child pornography is protected, but marketing fake child pornography is not. As Justice Souter noted in dissent, it makes no sense to criminalize proposing to sell items that are themselves constitutionally protected.” — New York Times editorial board California assemblyman proposes porn tax A California assemblyman wants to impose a 25 percent tax on the production and distribution of erotic films and other forms of adult entertainment, including strip clubs. The proposed tax would affect sales from websites, cable television and stores. “This isn’t about morality,” says Charles Calderon, a Democrat. “It’s about them paying their fair share.” Calderon argues that strip clubs generate calls to the police and pornography causes addiction among men that results in job losses and higher social service costs, paid for by counties. California is struggling to close a $17 billion budget gap; the porn tax could potentially generate $4 billion in new revenue for the state. Although Republicans might be expected to support the bill on moral grounds, one conservative assemblyman, Chuck DeVore, gave it little chance of becoming law. “I think it’s a clear violation of the First Amendment,” DeVore says. “I think it has zero chance of becoming law.” (New York Times, May 26) Supreme Court upholds PROTECT Act Is it constitutional to prosecute a person claiming to have sexually explicit photos of children, but actually doesn’t? By a vote of 7-2, the U.S. Supreme Court answered “yes.” In upholding the PROTECT Act — also known as the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today — Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that “we hold that offers to provide or requests to obtain child pornography are categorically excluded from the First Amendment.” The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals had struck down the law, saying grandparents could be prosecuted for innocently offering to send “Good pics of kids in bed” via email to a family member. Scalia dismissed that worry. He also claimed the law wouldn’t threaten online retailers that sell DVDs of “Titanic,” “Traffic” and other R-rated movies showing teen sex. Patrick Trueman, a former federal antiobscenity prosecutor, praised the decision. “This will be a big help,” he said. “[The government won’t have] to prove the underlying material is July 2008 Vol. 42, No. 7 | www.aasect.org Gay Iranian allowed to stay in U.K. Mehdi Kazemi moved from Iran to the U.K. in 2004 to study English. While attending university in London, Kazemi’s former lover was convicted of sodomy, a crime punishable by death in the conservative nation. Kazemi, 19, asked the British government for permission to stay in the U.K. because he feared a similar fate if he returned. After reviewing his case, the government granted him a five-year stay. “Mehdi wouldn’t have got leave to remain if there hadn’t been massive publicity to his case,” says Peter Tatchell of OutRage, a gay rights group. “There are many other gay and lesbian continued on page 8 Contemporary Sexuality 7 http://www.aasect.org

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Contemporary Sexuality - July 2008

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