Cancer from sex

Hayden Fletcher and Spring Chenoa Cooper do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. The sex act has many health benefits from reducing stress and tension, to boosting your immune system. It may even affect your risk of developing certain cancers. But as with most matters health, how sex and cancer risk are linked is complicated and dependent on several factors. Your age, gender, and how often you practice safe sex will all influence your potential cancer risk.

If you have symptoms of cancer contact your doctor. Read our information about coronavirus and cancer. Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Different cancers have different risk factors. Cervical cancer is more common in younger women.

Back to Sexual health. Some types of cancer are linked to human papillomavirus HPV infection in the mouth and throat. It's likely that some types of HPV are spread by oral sex. Cancers in the mouth and throat are sometimes called head and neck cancers, and include cancers of the:.

These areas are often linked. If there is a change in one area, it may affect another. Many changes caused by cancer treatment are temporary and usually get better after treatment. As you recover, you may find your sex life goes back to the way it was. Sometimes people might have to adjust to changes that last longer or that may be permanent.