Based on the available research, here are three specific intimate habits and risk factors of husbands that are linked to an increased risk of cervical cancer in their wives.
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 .
Husbands with extramarital sexual relationships increased their wives’ risk by 2.7 times .
If husbands had three or more extramarital partners, their wives’ risk increased by 3.05 times .
For husbands who had relationships both before and during the marriage, the risk for their wives was nearly 7 times higher .
2. Husband Has a History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
