A new study has revealed that high alcohol intake is linked with increased Human Papilloma virus Infection (HPV) risk in men.
HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus, with more than six million new infections in the United States each year.
DNA analysis was used to confirm the presence of HPV and the participants answered detailed surveys about alcohol consumption, smoking and sexual activity. The analysis was part of a larger international study of HPV infection in men called the HIM Study.
The researchers discovered that those men who consumed the most alcohol, on average more than 9.9 grams per day, had a significantly higher risk of HPV infection. This risk was significant in both men who were current smokers and those men who never smoked.
They also found that men who drank more alcohol had an increased risk of HPV infection independent of the number of sexual partners they had. This suggested that increased consumption of alcohol might impair men's immune responses to HPV, causing a greater risk of chronic infection.
Matthew Schabath, Ph.D., assistant member of the Cancer Epidemiology Program, said that their findings provided additional support to current public health messaging regarding the importance of moderate alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, and safe sex practices.
