Sex linked to some cancers
What you need to know:
- Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that among the top ten cancers in the country, at least four are linked to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HIV and Hepatitis B virus
Sexually transmitted infections remain one of the leading risk factors for cancer in Uganda, signalling a need to step up the fight against these diseases amidst campaigns focusing on healthy lifestyles, health specialists have said.
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that among the top ten cancers in the country, at least four are linked to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HIV and Hepatitis B virus.
The WHO, in their 2020 report, indicated that cervical cancer, which is caused by infection with HPV, was the most common cancer, accounting for 6,959 (20 percent) of the 34,000 new cancer cases.
Kaposi sarcoma; a cancer in the lining of the mouth, stomach, intestine and anus, which is HIV-associated, came second, contributing 13 percent of the cancers.
These were followed by liver cancer, which is linked to the Hepatitis B virus, and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma that begins in the human lymphatic system and is associated with HIV.
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