The Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Anal Human Papillomavirus in the HPV Infection in Men Study

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can lead to anal cancer in men and women. The aim of this analysis was to assess the association between alcohol consumption and the prevalence and incidence of anal HPV among 1,919 men.

The HPV infection in Men Study recruited men without HIV. Anal specimens were collected at baseline and follow-up visits. Using established methods, prevalence and incidence of HPV was determined. Alcohol consumption was reported as number of days of alcohol consumed per month and categorized into quartiles. Poisson regression was used to determine the association between HPV prevalence and alcohol consumption. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the association between HPV incidence and alcohol consumption. Analyses were stratified by smoking status and sexual orientation.

Overall, alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with prevalence or incidence of anal HPV. Current smokers with alcohol consumption of 6+ days per month had a decreased prevalence of high-risk HPV infections (adjusted PR (aPR)=0.43; 95%CI:0.20-0.90) compared to those with 0 days. While former smokers with an alcohol consumption of 3-5 days (aPR=5.29; 95%CI:1.17-25.1) and 6+ days (aPR=5.33; 95%CI:1.15-24.7) had an increased prevalence of high-risk HPV infection compared to 0 days a month.

Higher number of days exposed to alcohol among former smokers was significantly associated with anal HPV prevalence. The known inflammatory effect of alcohol may have promoted HPV resulting in higher anal HPV prevalence. Additional research is needed to assess the role of alcohol in anal HPV prevalence among former smokers.