The study from India also identified a husband’s circumcision status as a relevant factor. It found that women whose husbands were uncircumcised or who were circumcised after the age of one year had a significantly higher risk of cervical cancer (4.1 times higher) compared to those whose husbands were circumcised in infancy . Researchers theorize that the foreskin might offer a conducive environment for the long-term presence of HPV, making transmission more likely.
Beyond “Habits”: Cancer in Husbands of Affected Women
Further evidence of the husband’s role comes from large-scale health data. A Swedish study found that men whose wives had been diagnosed with cervical cancer had a higher incidence of certain cancers themselves. Specifically, these husbands had a 75% higher risk of developing anal cancer . Since anal cancer is also linked to HPV, this strongly suggests that both partners were exposed to the same oncogenic virus .
