La Voz

Issue date: 10/23/06 Section: Features

Monday, October 23, 2006


Editor's note: This article contains sexual subject matter that may be offensive to some readers.


I have heard that if I do not regularly ejaculate, I am at a higher risk for prostate cancer. Is there any truth to this?

Doctors say fewer ejaculations may mean the carcinogens build up. "It's a prostatic stagnation hypothesis. The more you flush the ducts out, the less there is to hang around and damage the cells that line them."

Studies revealed those who had ejaculated the most between the ages of 20 and 50 were the least likely to develop the cancer. The protective effect was greatest while the men were in their 20s. Men who ejaculated more than five times a week were a third less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life.


I've heard about Human Papilloma Virus causing cervical cancer. If my boyfriend has been tested for STDs, will it detect if he is carrying HPV?

Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons are unaware they are infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner. Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests.
A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV. Also, a specific test is available to detect HPV DNA in women. The test may be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities, or in women 30 years of age at the time of Pap testing. The results of HPV DNA testing can help health care providers decide if further tests or treatment are necessary. There is no test for men.


Send your sexual health questions to lavoz@fhda.edu or drop a note in our box at L-41. Your name will not be printed.

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