Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The British Journal of Venereal Diseases logoLink to The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
. 1984 Aug;60(4):243–248. doi: 10.1136/sti.60.4.243

Sexual behaviour of women with human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions of the uterine cervix.

K Syrjänen, M Väyrynen, O Castrén, M Yliskoski, R Mäntyjärvi, S Pyrhönen, S Saarikoski
PMCID: PMC1046319  PMID: 6331567

Abstract

To analyse the epidemiological aspects contributing to the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions (flat, inverted, and papillomatous condylomas) of the uterine cervix, we recorded the sexual behaviour of 146 women who consecutively attended the department of obstetrics and gynaecology of Kuopio University Central Hospital with a cervical HPV lesion (with or without concomitant cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN]. Similar data were collected from an age matched group of women with no signs of gynaecological infection. The sexual habits of the women infected with HPV differed from those of healthy controls in most aspects studied, including an earlier onset of sexual activity (p less than 0.05), lower number of deliveries (p less than 0.05), less regular use of contraceptive measures (p less than 0.05), and use of the condom instead of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) (p less than 0.0001). They also differed from controls in giving histories of more frequent episodes of: CIN (p less than 0.005), abnormal Pap (Papanicolaou) smears (p less than 0.0001), sexually transmitted disease (STD) (p less than 0.05), and genital warts (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, they had more multiple sexual partnerships (both past and current) than the controls (p less than 0.0001 and 0.005 respectively), they had not established permanent partnerships as often as the controls (p less than 0.001), and they had a higher frequency of casual relationships (p less than 0.0001). In addition, their own and their partners' sexual hygiene was poorer than in the control subjects (p less than 0.05 and 0.001 respectively). The results show the dramatic influence of sexual behaviour on the transmission of cervical HPV lesions, which are known to be intimately associated with CIN in many cases.

Full text

PDF
243

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andrews F. J., Linehan J. J., Melcher D. H. Cervical cancer in younger women. Lancet. 1978 Oct 7;2(8093):776–778. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)92659-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beral V. Cancer of the cervix: a sexually transmitted infection? Lancet. 1974 May 25;1(7865):1037–1040. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)90432-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cocks P. S., Adib R. S., Hunt K. M. Concurrent carcinoma of penis and carcinoma-in situ of the cervix in a married couple. Case report. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1982 May;89(5):408–409. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1982.tb05085.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dürst M., Gissmann L., Ikenberg H., zur Hausen H. A papillomavirus DNA from a cervical carcinoma and its prevalence in cancer biopsy samples from different geographic regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Jun;80(12):3812–3815. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.12.3812. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Feldman M. J., Kent D. R., Pennington R. L. Intraepithelial neoplasia of the uterine cervix in the teenager. Cancer. 1978 Apr;41(4):1405–1408. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197804)41:4<1405::aid-cncr2820410427>3.0.co;2-s. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Feldman M. J., Linzey E. M., Srebnik E., Kent D. R., Goldstein A. I., Nelson M. Abnormal cervical cytology in the teen-ager: a continuing problem. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Oct 15;126(4):418–421. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90629-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fields C., Restivo R. M., Brown M. C. Experience in mass Papanicolaou screening and cytologic observations of teen-age girls. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Apr 1;124(7):730–734. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)33344-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Goldberg H. M., Pell-Ilderton R., Daw E., Saleh N. Concurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and penis in a married couple. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1979 Jul;86(7):585–586. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1979.tb10815.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Graham S., Priore R., Graham M., Browne R., Burnett W., West D. Genital cancer in wives of penile cancer patients. Cancer. 1979 Nov;44(5):1870–1874. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197911)44:5<1870::aid-cncr2820440546>3.0.co;2-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Howley P. M. The human papillomaviruses. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1982 Sep;106(9):429–432. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jablonska S., Orth G., Lutzner M. A. Immunopathology of papillomavirus-induced tumors in different tissues. Springer Semin Immunopathol. 1982;5(1):33–53. doi: 10.1007/BF00201955. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Johnson L. D., Nickerson R. J., Easterday C. L., Stuart R. S., Hertig A. T. Epidemiologic evidence for the spectrum of change from dysplasia through carcinoma in situ to invasive cancer. Cancer. 1968 Nov;22(5):901–914. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196811)22:5<901::aid-cncr2820220502>3.0.co;2-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kessler I. I. Human cervical cancer as a venereal disease. Cancer Res. 1976 Feb;36(2 Pt 2):783–791. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kessler I. I. Venereal factors in human cervical cancer: evidence from marital clusters. Cancer. 1977 Apr;39(4 Suppl):1912–1919. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197704)39:4+<1912::aid-cncr2820390829>3.0.co;2-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. King J. F. Sexual activity as environmental cancer hazard. N Y State J Med. 1980 Jul;80(8):1253–1258. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Martínez I. Relationship of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri to squamous cell carcinoma of the penis among Puerto rican women married to men with penile carcinoma. Cancer. 1969 Oct;24(4):777–780. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196910)24:4<777::aid-cncr2820240418>3.0.co;2-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Meisels A., Bégin R., Schneider V. Dysplasias of uterine cervix: epidemiological aspects: role of age at first coitus and use of oral contraceptives. Cancer. 1977 Dec;40(6):3076–3081. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197712)40:6<3076::aid-cncr2820400647>3.0.co;2-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Meisels A., Fortin R. Condylomatous lesions of the cervix and vagina. I. Cytologic patterns. Acta Cytol. 1976 Nov-Dec;20(6):505–509. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Muñoz N. Model systems for cervical cancer. Cancer Res. 1976 Feb;36(2 Pt 2):792–793. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Oriel J. D. Genital warts. Sex Transm Dis. 1977 Oct-Dec;4(4):153–159. doi: 10.1097/00007435-197710000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Oriel J. D. Genital warts. Sex Transm Dis. 1981 Oct-Dec;8(4 Suppl):326–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Oriel J. D. Natural history of genital warts. Br J Vener Dis. 1971 Feb;47(1):1–13. doi: 10.1136/sti.47.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Reddy C. R., Rao T. G., Venkatarathnam G., Kameswari V. R., Sashiprabha R., Raghavaiah N. V. A study of 80 patients with penile carcinoma combined with cervical biopsy study of their wives. Int Surg. 1977 Oct;62(10):549–553. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Richardson A. C., Lyon J. B. The effect of condom use on squamous cell cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1981 Aug 15;140(8):909–913. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(81)90084-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Richart R. M., Barron B. A. A follow-up study of patients with cervical dysplasia. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1969 Oct 1;105(3):386–393. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(69)90268-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Roddick J. W., Jr Gynecologic disease in young, sexually active women. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Dec 1;126(7):880–889. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90676-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rotkin I. D. A comparison review of key epidemiological studies in cervical cancer related to current searches for transmissible agents. Cancer Res. 1973 Jun;33(6):1353–1367. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rotkin I. D. Adolescent coitus and cervical cancer: associations of related events with increased risk. Cancer Res. 1967 Apr;27(4):603–617. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Singer A., Reid B. L., Coppleson M. A hypothesis: the role of a high-risk male in the etiology of cervical carcinoma: a correlation of epidemiology and molecular biology. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Sep 1;126(1):110–115. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90474-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Smith P. G., Kinlen L. J., White G. C., Adelstein A. M., Fox A. J. Mortality of wives of men dying with cancer of the penis. Br J Cancer. 1980 Mar;41(3):422–428. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1980.66. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Snyder R. N., Ortiz Y., Willie S., Cove J. K. Dysplasia and carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix: prevalence in very young women (under age 22). A one-year study in a health plan population. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Apr 1;124(7):751–756. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)33348-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Syrjänen K. J. Condylomatous epithelial changes in the uterine cervix and their relationship to cervical carcinogenesis. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1980 Mar-Apr;17(5):415–420. doi: 10.1002/j.1879-3479.1980.tb00176.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Syrjänen K. J. Condylomatous lesions in dysplastic and neoplastic epithelium of the uterine cervix. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1980 Mar;150(3):372–376. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Syrjänen K. J. Current views on the condylomatous lesions in uterine cervix and their possible relationship to cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 1980 Nov;35(11):685–694. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Syrjänen K. J., Heinonen U. M., Kauraniemi T. Cytologic evidence of the association of condylomatous lesions with dysplastic and neoplastic changes in the uterine cervix. Acta Cytol. 1981 Jan-Feb;25(1):17–22. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Syrjänen K. J. Human papillomavirus lesions in association with cervical dysplasias and neoplasias. Obstet Gynecol. 1983 Nov;62(5):617–624. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Syrjänen K. J. Morphologic survey of the condylomatous lesions in dysplastic and neoplastic epithelium of the uterine cervix. Arch Gynecol. 1979 Aug;227(2):153–161. doi: 10.1007/BF02103290. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. zur Hausen H. Human papillomaviruses and their possible role in squamous cell carcinomas. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1977;78:1–30. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-66800-5_1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Venereal Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES