Coconspirator? Genital herpes linked to cervical cancer

Nearly every woman who contracts cancer of the cervix is also infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV). However, many women with HPV don’t get cervical cancer.

Scientists are trying to figure out why some of these infections lead to the cancer. They now report that if a woman has genital herpes in addition to HPV, her risk of cervical cancer nearly doubles.