Recent evidence on the importance of sexual history and sexually transmissible agents in
cervical cancer has been reported. Case-control studies have frequently demonstrated increased risk of
cervical cancer for women using
oral contraceptives, while laboratory results have shown that
vaginal spermicides inactivate various sexually transmissible agents. To determine the role of
contraceptive use in
cervical cancer, 153 cases of Maryland women with invasive
cervical cancer and age, race, and residence-matched controls were interviewed in 1985, focusing on sexual history, health care utilization patterns, screening history, contraceptive use, and smoking. Overall, lifetime use of
contraceptives was protective of
cervical cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.2-0.7). Use of
oral contraceptives (OR = 0.48), diaphragm (OR = 0.29), and
vaginal spermicides (OR = 0.28) were more frequent in controls than cases. After adjustment for behavioral factors (age at first intercourse, smoking, gaps in Papanicolaou smear testing, and obstetrician-gynecologist visits), use of
vaginal spermicides remained significant (OR = 0.30), although use of
oral contraceptives and barrier methods of
contraception failed to remain significant. The effectiveness of
vaginal spermicides in preventing
cervical cancer may be due to their
antiviral action.