Oral contraceptive use, sexual activity, and cervical carcinoma.

Recent studies suggest that long-term oral contraceptive (OC) use may be related to the development of subsequent cervical carcinoma (CaCx). However, the possible confounding effects of sexual activity on this relationship have not been adequately investigated. In this study of 69 patients with CaCx and 216 matched control subjects, data on sexual activity, as well as OC use, were obtained. Sexual activity and OC usage were seen to be positively related, as were sexual activity and risk of CaCx. These two factors were seen to interact to make the risk of CaCx highest in those women who have been most sexually active and who have used OCs for 4 to 6 years. However, after adjustment for sexual factors, the increase in risk of CaCx attributable to OC use was no longer of statistical significance.