Early sexual encounters linked to increased risk of cervical cancer among deprived women
One of the reasons why cervical cancer is more common among poorer women could be because they start having sex at a younger age than more affluent women, scientists have said.
Although deprived women are twice as likely to get cervical cancer as more affluent women, research has shown that their levels of infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) - which is responsible for the majority of cases of cervical cancer - tend to be similar.
Researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer investigated the link between deprivation and higher cervical cancer risk. Until now, experts thought that the difference in cases of the disease could be just because poorer women were less likely to go for cervical screening.
Read the whole article at Cancer Research UK
Reference
- Franceschi, S. et al (2009). Differences in the risk of cervical cancer and human papillomavirus infection by education level British Journal of Cancer, 101 (5), 865-870 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605224
Keywords: cervical cancer, socio-economic status, human papillomavirus
22. 12. 2009 Cancer Research UK
