The cervix is the lowermost portion of the uterus that connects the womb to the vagina. Sometimes, the cervix of a woman may get infected by cancer cells leading to cervix cancer. Some of the major factors that play a key role in causing cervical cancer include human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, birth control contraceptive pills, having multiple sex partners, sexually transmitted diseases, etc but cancer can be brought about many other ways as well.

Usually, when the body of a woman is exposed to human papillomavirus, the immune system of will prevent the virus from harming the body. However, in some cases, this virus tends to survive in the body over an extended period of time. This, in turn, lead to a process in which some cells in and around the cervix becomes cancerous.

Thankfully, spreading of cervical cancer is a slow process, giving the patient enough time to diagnose and cure the health issue effectively. As a result, the number of cervix cancer issues is currently less when compared to other types of cancers now. Furthermore, women who are in their 50’s are more vulnerable to this cancer. However, the precancerous changes taking place in the cervix of a woman can be easily diagnosed in their 20’s and 30’s and can be most easily identified by a women’s healthcare specialist. Of course, you can take the required precautions with early diagnosis of the cancerous growth in your body.

The Cause and Risk Factors

The abnormal changes in the cells and tissue around the cervix are the reason for cervical cancer. These abnormally grown cells are likely to invade other body parts of the person in a while. Some of those vulnerable body organs are liver, lungs, vagina, bladder, and rectum. If the cancer cells are extremely invasive, it tends to go deep into the tissues of the cervix of the affected person as well. As mentioned earlier, the main factors that trigger cervical cancer include HPV, birth control pills, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.

If a person is exposed to HPV, he/she is likely to exhibit symptoms like genital warts, skin warts, abnormal skin disorders, etc. This may eventually lead to cervical cancer. Some types of the HPV virus can also result in cancers involving the regions such as vagina, anus, vulva, tonsils, and tongue. Besides, girls who became sexually active within a year of their first menstruation or before the age of 16 are reported to be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer.