1. Husband Has Had Multiple Sexual Partners or Extramarital Affairs
Since HPV is spread through intimate skin-to-skin and sexual contact, a husband’s sexual history is a key risk factor . A man who has had many sexual partners, either before or during the marriage, is statistically more likely to carry high-risk strains of HPV and transmit them to his wife.
Research has consistently supported this. A pooled analysis of studies from several countries found that a husband’s history of ever having contact with prostitutes was a key determinant of cervical cancer rates in their wives . A landmark study in India, where it was documented that women had only one lifetime sexual partner, still found a significant link between the husband’s behavior and his wife’s cancer risk. The study showed that:
Husbands with premarital sexual relationships increased their wives’ risk by 1.9 times .
