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Oh dear:the more bed partners, the greater the risk of cancer?

Oh dear:the more bed partners, the greater the risk of cancer?

Bed partners:one likes to experiment, another prefers to stick to one. In these times everyone has to do what makes them feel good. And yet…when you read the result of this research, you wonder whether that experiment is wise…

A recent study, published in BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, analyzed data from adults aged 50 and older. It involved 2,537 men and 3,185 women, with an average age of 64 and three in four were married. They had answered questions such as 'how many bed partners have you had'. The answers were divided into a few categories:0-1, 2-4, 5-9 and 10 or more bed partners.

Read also: "5 moments when sex is a good idea"

Bed partners

And it turns out:the more bed partners the participants had, the higher the chance was that they had/have had cancer. Women who had 10 or more bed partners were 91 percent more likely to develop cancer compared to women who had zero or 1 bed partner. A percentage of 69 percent applied to the men.

Infections

Lead researcher Lee Smith:"We expected that the number of bed partners could be linked to cancer risk, because previous research had already shown that certain sexually transmitted infections can lead to certain cancers, and indeed, the more bed partner the greater the chance is. on transmission of certain infections.”

Difference between men and women

But why is there such a big difference between men and women? According to Smith, this is because the association between certain infections and cancer is greater in women. Think of the link between HPV (human papilloma virus) and cervical cancer.

Benefits sex

Now Smith does not want to say that you should stop having sex, because making love also has many benefits. It can reduce stress and the risk of cardiovascular disease, it gives you self-confidence and you enjoy life more.

And he doesn't want to cause any panic, either. He does not claim that a large number of bed partners are the cause of cancer; the study only found a link between the number of bed partners and cancer cases.

Other risk factors

There were also a number of other factors in the study that can cause cancer, such as smoking and alcohol consumption. So according to Smith, it could also be that a combination of unhealthy habits increases the risk of cancer.

Source:Health.com