As much as it was literally the last thing that anybody wanted to hear on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, Michael Douglas's decision to announce that his throat cancer was caused by – and possibly cured by – cunnilingus has led to a flood of discussion on the subject.
At one end of the spectrum, there are people screwing their faces up and making "yeuch" noises at the thought of muff-diving pensioners. At the other end, though, this is perhaps the most attention that the HPV virus has ever got. For all anybody knows, Michael Douglas might have caused thousands of people to better educate themselves about STDs contracted through oral sex.
Once the mental images recede, this could actually be a good thing. Michael Douglas might have just joined the ranks of celebrities who have discovered the positive effects of discussing their health. Here are some others.
Angelina Jolie
It's been nearly three weeks since Angelina Jolie revealed that she'd undergone a preventive double mastectomy after discovering an inherited gene mutation, and kickstarted all manner of debate in the process. It will be some time before anybody knows if she's increased the number of women taking genetic screening tests, or even how useful they are, but you can't deny that it's been brought right into the middle of the public consciousness.
Magic Johnson
Despite his glittering career as a basketball player, Magic Johnson's announcement that he had tested positive for HIV in 1991 – just as panic and miseducation surrounding HIV and Aids was peaking – has far outstripped anything he accomplished professionally. He has since written books, started foundations and spoken prolifically about the issue, helping to strip away the hysteria surrounding it.
Kylie Minogue
When Kylie Minogue pulled out of a tour in 2005 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, it is estimated that bookings for screenings rose by 40%. What's more, her recovery underlined the importance of early diagnosis.
Iain Banks
So far, the author Iain Banks has been the most high-profile celebrity to announce that he is living with a terminal illness. His "I am officially very poorly" announcement in April was both touching and widely leapt upon. The downside is that Banks might well be sick of reading his own obituary, but at least gallbladder cancer has never been given so much attention.
Michael J Fox
It has been more than 20 years since Michael J Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and 15 since he decided to go public with it. In that time, he has set up a foundation that has become the largest private funder of Parkinson's research in the world. On top of that, he has written two books that have helped to normalise the disease, and branched out into stem-cell activism. This year he will take the lead role in the Michael J Fox Show, a sitcom about a newscaster with Parkinson's, bringing the disease to an even larger audience.
Kim Kardashian
On an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2011, Kim Kardashian went to a dermatologist and discovered that she suffered from psoriasis. The American National Psoriasis Foundation praised her bravery in allowing the diagnosis to be screened, and it remains the sole good thing to have come out of any television programme featuring a Kardashian.
