SMOKING, ALCOHOL, SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AND DRUG-USE IN WOMEN WITH CERVICALHUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine if smoking is associa ted with cervical human papillomavirus infection (CHPI) independent of sexual risk factors. Setting: Two family planning clinics and one you th clinic in Sweden. Subjects: Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA was foun d in cervical samples of 66 (6.8%) of 972 women attending for contrace ptive advice, using Southern blot tests. Results: Among women with cer vical human papillomavirus infection (CHPI), 33 (50%) were smokers, as compared to 307 (33.9%) among a comparison group of HPV-negative wome n (odds ratio = 2.0, 95 % CI= 1.2-3.2). After stepwise adjustment for number of lifetime partners, number of partners last six months, age a t first intercourse, alcohol use, drug abuse and history of or current sexually transmitted disease other than CHPI, the odds ratio decrease d to 1.4 (95% CI=0.8-2.4). Recent use of alcohol and ever use of narco tics were also significantly correlated to CHPI in crude analyses, but vanished in multifactorial analyses after adjustment for the mentione d sexual risk behavioral factors. Conclusions: The results of this stu dy indicate that smoking, alcohol and drug abuse are risk markers, but not causal factors, for CHPI.