Hi, Welcome to Health Care Magic, I understand your concern . HPV virus can be transmitted by just one intercourse, with just one man also. And if that HPV virus is of high risk strain, can cause Cancer. Those who are having multiple partners and frequent intercourse are at high risk to get HPV virus, but at the same time, they have to go to see the Doctor more frequently for other STI infections and while managing, can be diagnosed early for HPV virus, do more frequent screening and can get early detection and management. There are some risk factors, like Intercourse at early age, Pregnancy before the age of 17 years, Intercourse with a man who had multiple partners, Intercourse with uncircumcised man , Intercourse without Condoms. Smoking doubles the chances of developing cancer. Use of oral pills continuously for more than five years may increase the risk. If someone has low immunity due to use of immuno suppressive medicine, or Chemotherapy or HIV, etc again reduces the time between getting HPV virus and developing cancer. Recent research studies are going on to determine other causes of Cervical cancer like chemical exposure, DES exposure in utero, gene defects for hereditary pattern. Though in 99% of cervical Cancer HPV virus is the proven cause, and vaccine against it , can cause prevention of this cancer. Hope you got your answer. Dr H Hamdani