Gypsyamber D’Souza, PhD @EPIAmber @JohnsHopkinsSPH #HPV #CancerRisks #HumanPapillomavirus #Cancer #Research Timing, number, and type of sexual partners associated with risk of oropharyn…

Gypsyamber D’Souza, Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health speaks about Timing, number, and type of sexual partners associated with the risk of oropharyngeal cancer

Instract

Context

Case-control research from the early 2000s found that oropharyngeal cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV-OPC) is a different entity linked to the number of oral sex partners. We examined novel risk factors (sexual debut habits, exposure intensity, and relationship dynamics) and serological markers on HPV-OPC odds using current data.

Methodology

From 2013 to 2018, HPV-OPC patients and frequency-matched controls were enrolled in a multicenter trial. A behavioral survey was conducted by respondents. Using a chi-square test for categorical variables and a t-test for continuous variables, characteristics were compared. Using logistic regression, modified odds ratios (aOR) were calculated.

Outcomes

A total of 163 patients with HPV‐OPC and 345 controls were included. The lifetime number of oral sex partners has been correlated with substantially higher HPV-OPC odds (>10 partners: odds ratio [OR], 4.3 [95% CI, 2.8-6.7]). Younger age at first oral sex (<18 vs >20 years: aOR, 1.8 [95 percent CI, 1.1-3.2]) and oral sex strength (>5 sex-years: aOR, 2.8 [95 percent CI, 1.1-7.5]) remained associated with substantially increased HPV-OPC odds despite adjustment for the number of oral sex partners and smoking. HPV-OPC was correlated with the type of sexual partners, such as older partners when a case was younger (OR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.1-2.6]) or finding a partner that had extramarital sex (OR, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.1-2.4]). Seropositivity was associated with increased odds of HPV-OPC for antibodies to HPV16 E6 (OR, 286 [95% CI, 122-670]) and any HPV16 E protein (E1, E2, E6, E7; OR, 163 [95% CI, 70-378]).

Completion

The number of oral sex partners remains a strong risk factor for HPV-OPC, but new independent risk factors are timing and strength of oral sex. These activities indicate additional complexities about how and why HPV-OPC is generated by certain people.