I wonder how many men know that cervical cancer in women is almost always caused by an infection passed on by a man who doesn’t use a condom. Or do some men know but pretend they don’t?

I’m Fullerene, a male member! > How many people do you think actually know? Hmm, that’s a difficult question. It may depend quite a bit on the type of man. I’d say probably around half, give or take. The generation they’re from may also have an influence. > Or do some people know, but pretend they don’t? When it comes to women, I think there are plenty who act that way. Even if they know, not everyone is willing to take that risk on purpose. After all, married men who participate here do so because they’re passionate enough to want to continue despite the risks. Also, even when using a condom, something could still be transmitted through the throat or other routes, so why not decide for yourself in advance how much you’re willing to worry about?

Maezawa from the President’s Office here as well. Thank you for your question. > Someone who knows that infection is almost always caused by men who don’t use condoms I wasn’t aware of that, so I looked it up and found the following: “Condoms can reduce the risk of contracting HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer. However, HPV can also be present in areas that condoms don’t fully cover, such as the vulva and anus. Therefore, condoms alone cannot prevent cervical cancer.” “I thought using condoms would be enough… But that’s not the only way it can be transmitted—it can also spread through the hands or fingers.” Looking into it further, I found that: 1. Cervical cancer is caused by long-term infection with cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV). 2. There are more than 100 types of HPV, and not all of them cause cervical cancer. The disease is caused by certain cancer-causing types known as high-risk HPV—around 15 types. 3. Most HPV infections are temporary, and the virus naturally clears up in about 90% of cases. However, in roughly 10% of cases, the virus does not disappear and the infection becomes long-lasting, or persistent. 4. Even when a cancer-causing HPV infection persists, it does not immediately lead to cancer. 5. It takes several years to more than a decade for an HPV infection to develop into cervical cancer. 6. Cancer does not appear suddenly. Before cancer develops, the cells undergo changes known as a precancerous condition, or dysplasia, which can be detected through screening. 7. Dysplasia can be completely cured with simple treatment. 8. Even after dysplasia develops, in many cases where the cellular changes are mild, the HPV disappears on its own and the dysplasia resolves naturally as well. 9. If you undergo regular screenings, it is highly unlikely that cancer will only be discovered after it has progressed. It can reliably be detected at the dysplasia stage. So, if anything, I feel that getting regular screenings is the better approach.

I’m Kazu, a male member. Even though both men and women should know that having sex without contraception increases the risk of pregnancy, there are still quite a few cases where they have unprotected sex and end up with a pregnancy. Everyone assesses risks differently, so if you believe that cervical cancer in women is almost always caused by infections transmitted by men who don’t use condoms, yet you’re still considering having sex, then I think you should insist that the man use a condom every time. Men have to pay for it themselves, but I also think they should get the HPV vaccine.