Risk factors for cervical cancer

[xanthomondo]

So all year we've learned that multiple sexual partners/early age of first intercourse is a risk factor for cervical cancer (and I've seen it on a few UW/Kaplan questions). Isn't this the very definition of a confoudning variable? We all know it isn't having sex with many people that causes cervical cancer, it's HPV that contributes.

So why is having sex with multiple partners considered a risk factor? If a 13 year old girl was to have sex with 15 guys all who were HPV - and STD free, her risk for cervical cancer would not increase, right? So why do we call this a risk factor?

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[Dirt]

Probably because it is convenient. It would be hard to judge a patient's true exposure to HPV while they are sitting in your office so instead you judge their risk by the notches in the bedpost which I bet correlates pretty well.

 

[Surg Path]

There's an older theory that the trauma to the cervix associated with intercourse before adequate sexual maturity may predispose for neoplasia. It's possible this was just a correlate with early HPV exposure- I'm sure there are some studies on this issue.

 

[PokerDoc]

multiple sex partners increases the risk that you are exposed to HPV which is the primary cause

say 1 out of 10 have HPV

if you sleep with 8 people your chance of sleeping with that 1 person is higher than if you slept with 2 people. So of course having multiple partners are starting at earlier ages are 'risk factors' both increase your exposure to people who may already have HPV.