Home Forums Blogs Articles Photos Videos Contact FAQ

Cervical cancer - History

Cervical cancer - History: Encyclopedia II - Cervical cancer - History

Epidemiologists working in the early 20th century noted that: Cervical cancer was common in female sex workers. It was rare in nuns, except for those who had been sexually active before entering the convent. It was more common in the second wives of men whose first wives had died from cervical cancer. It was rare in Jewish women.[3] This led to the deduction that cervical cancer could be caused by a sexually transmitted agent. Initial research in the 1950s and 1960s put the blame on smegm ...

Cervical cancer: Encyclopedia II - Cervical cancer - History

Cervical cancer - History

Epidemiologists working in the early 20th century noted that:

Cervical cancer was common in female sex workers.
It was rare in nuns, except for those who had been sexually active before entering the convent.
It was more common in the second wives of men whose first wives had died from cervical cancer.
It was rare in Jewish women.[3]

This led to the deduction that cervical cancer could be caused by a sexually transmitted agent. Initial research in the 1950s and 1960s put the blame on smegma (e.g. Heins et al 1958), but it wasn't until the 1970s that human papillomavirus (HPV) was identified. It has since been demonstrated that HPV is implicated in all cervical cancers. Specific viral subtypes implicated are HPV 16, 18 and 33.