News Finding: Declines in the frequency of vaginal and oral sexual behaviors occurred irrespective of tumor HPV status.
Paper Finding: Significant declines in the frequency of vaginal and oral sexual behaviors were reported at follow-up, regardless of tumor HPV status.
News Context: Investigators also found that abstinence from vaginal sex significantly increased from 10% at baseline to 34% at 6 months (P <.01) and abstinence from oral sex increased from 25% to 80% (P <.01). Declines in the frequency of vaginal and oral sexual behaviors occurred irrespective of tumor HPV status. The findings ultimately suggest that a diagnosis of oropharyngeal cancer can have significant negative effects on sexual behavior.
Paper Context: Concern over sexual, but not nonsexual, HPV transmission to partners was reported by 50%. Significant declines in the frequency of vaginal and oral sexual behaviors were reported at follow-up, regardless of tumor HPV status. From baseline to 6 months, significant increases in abstinence from vaginal sex (from 10% to 34%; P <.01) and oral sex (from 25% to 80%; P <.01) were reported.