Can sex cause cancer?
For most cancers, there is no link between a person’s sex life and the risk of cancer. Nor does having sex after cancer treatment increase the chances of cancer coming back or getting out of control. But viruses passed from one person to another through sexual contact have been linked to some cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, or rectum, and Kaposi sarcoma. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, which can be passed from one person to another during sex, can increase the risk for liver cancer. Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis (also called the “kissing disease”), seems to increase the risk of certain other types of cancer, too. These cancers are not caused by having sex itself, but by viruses that can be picked up during sexual activity with someone who already has the virus. News stories about viruses and cancer can be confusing. The roles of these viruses are not fully understood, but some can cause changes in the DNA of the cell
