Florida woman diagnosed with three cancers after learning husband's infidelity left her with a cancer-causing STI

A woman, who currently lives in Tampa, Florida, has shared her devastating health journey after discovering that her husband's alleged infidelity left her with a cancer-causing sexually transmitted infection (STI). She said the diagnosis came after doctors detected a high-risk strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus linked to several types of cancer. Over time, she was diagnosed with three separate cancers, turning what began as a painful betrayal into a life-changing medical battle. Her story has certainly highlighted the importance of regular health screenings, early detection, HPV vaccination, and open conversations about sexual health and prevention.

Eileen McGill Fox, a mother of four who had been married for nearly three decades, sought medical testing after discovering her husband's infidelity in 2017, reported New York Post. Initial screenings for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea, came back negative. However, during a routine Pap smear the following year, doctors detected a high-risk strain of HPV - a virus that is not typically included in standard STI screenings. HPV is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer and is also linked to the vast majority of anal cancers and a significant proportion of vulvar cancers. For Fox, the virus has had devastating consequences, as she has been diagnosed with all three, according to the outlet.

Within months, Fox was diagnosed with vulvar cancer, followed by cervical cancer. Five years later, she was also diagnosed with anal cancer. Since then, she has undergone years of intensive treatment. Because HPV can remain dormant for many years, it is impossible to determine exactly when Fox contracted the virus.


According to the outlet, Fox is now using her experience to raise awareness about the importance of HPV vaccination and regular cancer screenings, saying many HPV-related cancers can be prevented through early protection and detection.

"When I tell people I have anal cancer, I’m like, ‘It is what it is,'" Fox told the Tampa Bay Times as quoted by New York Post. "Let’s talk about vulvas and anuses and cervixes. Let’s remove the stigma and the shadow language for dealing with it."

Looking back, Fox says she wouldn't have thought twice about getting the HPV vaccine if she had known what she knows today. When the HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, Fox says she never considered getting it because she was already married and had children, assuming she wasn't at risk.

According to the New York Post, the HPV vaccine is currently recommended as part of the routine immunization schedule for children aged 11 and 12. However, it can be administered as early as age 9 and is advised for everyone through age 26 if they have not previously been vaccinated.