Introduction
HPV is one of the most commonly found contagious diseases that can happen through direct contact with the skin, throat, and genital area. People who’ve had sexual intercourse can be affected by the human papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their lives without any symptoms. In most cases, the immune system flushes out the HPV or infections from the body. Consistent or frequent infections in the body may increase the risk of abnormal cells, which can turn into cancer.
Causes of Cervical Cancer
If cervical cancer is left untreated, 95% of cases can be caused by a long-lasting HPV infection in the cervix, the lower portion of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Generally, it takes 15–20 years to transform abnormal cells into cancer. But for women who’ve got lower immune systems, this progression spreads at a faster rate than normal and takes 5–10 years.
What Are The Symptoms Of Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer cannot reveal any signs during the initial stage. However, it starts showing signs gradually and grows with cancer development. Some red flags of cervical cancer are:
-
Vaginal bleeding just after having intercourse, after menopause, or in between periods
-
Heavy bleeding during periods and longer than usual
-
Heavy, watery, bloody vaginal discharge that smells bad.
-
Troubling with pain or pelvic pain during intercourse
What Are The Risk Factors Associated With Cervical Cancer?
-
The higher the number of your sexual partners will be, the higher the chances of getting an HPV infection will be.
-
When someone has performed sexual intercourse at an earlier stage than usual, they may develop a risk of HPV infection.
-
Smoking or chewing tobacco are poor dieting habits that make individuals more susceptible to HPV, which can eventually lead to the development of cervical cancer.
-
The risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) gets doubled when an individual is dealing with sexually transmitted diseases such as STIs, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS. These are some common sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) that may lead to cervical cancer.
-
When dealing with a lower immune system and other severe health issues, the development of cervical cancer disease can increase.
-
Whether willingly or unwillingly, individuals have consumed medicines for miscarriage (diethylstilbestrol, or DES) during pregnancy. Somehow, it is connected with a specific form of cervical cancer known as clear-cell adenocarcinoma.
Cervical Cancer Prevention Tips
Following are the prevention tips for cervical cancer that you need to follow:
-
Get a dose of HPV vaccination that reduces the risk of cervical cancer and other HPV cancer types. For this, you need to consult with your healthcare practitioner about whether HPV vaccination suits you or not.
-
Every girl should receive HPV vaccines between 9 and 14 years of age before they perform sexual intercourse. However, 1 or 2 doses of HPV vaccination are to be given to girls. People with a lessened immune system should receive either 2 or 3 vaccine doses.
-
Regular screening Pap and HPV infection tests help determine precancerous health conditions of the cervix. You should start a routine Pap test at 21 years of age and perform it repeatedly every few years.
-
Use condoms while having sex with your partner, as it is one of the most effective prevention tips that may reduce the risk of cervical cancer. Taking safe precautions is always better than cure, and the same thing applies while having intercourse.
-
Smoking can also cause cervical cancer. If you’re a chain smoker, then it would be better to take suggestions from healthcare experts about ways to quit smoking.
Conclusion
This blog post helps raise awareness about cervical cancer and what precautions should be taken at each stage. Cervical cancer may start hampering the condition gradually when caught with infection frequently and getting sick more frequently. All girls should take 2 doses of the HPV vaccine in the period of 9 to 14 years of age before indulging in any intercourse activity.
To protect yourself from cervical cancer or any other type of cancer at an early stage, you can take suggestions from your healthcare provider.
FAQ’s
Can You Get Cervical Cancer And Not Have Hpv?
It rarely happens that someone gets cervical cancer and does not have HPV. In most cases, HPV is the only reason for developing cervical cancer. No suitable tests are available for finding out the root cause of cervical cancer. Moreover, the pap test and the new cervical screening test are important in identifying cervical cancer.
Are Cervical Cancer And Hpv The Same Thing?
Cervical cancer is one of the types of cancer that can develop due to the contagious infection of HPV. However, the other types of cancer cannot be detected easily until and unless an individual does not possess severe health infections.
So I hope you will get your answer. In short, cervical cancer and HPV are not the same thing.
What Is The Link Between Hpv And Cervical Cancer?
If you’re getting infected with high-risk HPV frequently, it can start developing abnormal cells that can eventually transfer into cancer. If not treated on time, long-lasting HPV infection of the cervix results in 95% of cervical cancer cases. In such a way, HPV and cervical cancer are associated with each other.
