Hormonal contraception and HPV: a tale of differing and overlapping mechanisms

rmonal contraception and HPV: a tale of differing and overlapping mechanisms Review (1875) Total Article Views Authors: Marks MA, Klein SL, Gravitt PE Published Date November 2011 Volume 2011:2 Pages 161 - 174 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S17404 Morgan A Marks1, Sabra L Klein2,3, Patti E Gravitt1,2 1Department of Epidemiology, 2W Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, 3Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Abstract: Hormonal contraceptive use is an identified co-factor that modifies cervical cancer risk. The mechanisms by which sex steroid hormones affect the multi-stage natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical carcinogenesis are still unclear, with no consistent evidence in support of a single biological hypothesis. Understanding the means by which hormonal contraception affects HPV infection and cervical cancer risk may provide critical information to guide future secondary interventions for cancer prevention.