Why Michael Douglas regretted publicly stating throat cancer was caused by oral sex

Michael Douglas previously expressed his regret of stating his throat cancer was caused by oral sex.

Back in 2013, Douglas told The Guardian that his throat cancer was caused by oral sex.

The 81-year-old denied ever having made the claim, though the news outlet doubled down with an audio recording and written transcript of what Douglas had said.

Douglas was asked if he believed he might have 'overloaded' his system with 'drugs, smoking [and] drink', to which he replied: "No. No. Ah, without getting too specific, this particular cancer is caused by something called HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus."

"It’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it," he added.

Michael Douglas said his throat cancer was caused by oral sex (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Medical professionals quickly pointed out cunnilingus being the best cure as medically untrue, while Douglas shared in a later interview how he now regrets making the comments, particularly in relation to his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"I so regretted any embarrassment that it caused Catherine," he told Event Magazine. "What I was trying to say was that there is a sexually transmitted virus called HPV, but there is a vaccination that they recommend to all kids before they become sexually active so they don’t catch HPV, which is a cause of certain types of cancer – cervical cancer, tongue and throat."

While his comments may have been a little ill-judged, Douglas went on to say his intentions were to make a 'public service announcement' regarding HPV and cancer prevention.

HPV is the most common viral sexually transmitted infection in the US, according to Cleveland Clinic. It can cause cells in the cervix to change and advance to cervical cancer.

Michael Douglas has previously opened up on his throat cancer diagnosis (Kym Illman/Getty Images)

Furthermore, the health site explains the virus can have a similar effect on the cells of the throat.

Prior to receiving the throat cancer diagnosis, Douglas revealed he suffered from oral discomfort for months and made various trips to the doctors.

But the truth was revealed after a friend's doctor in Montreal examined his mouth and found an immediate problem.

"I will always remember the look on his face," Douglas said. "He said: 'We need a biopsy.' There was a walnut-size tumor at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen."

The retired film producer was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and while that is often considered terminal, Douglas was given the all clear two years later and has been in remission ever since.