CANCER OF THE CERVIX ❗❗❗❗❗
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴄᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ?
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cervix. The cervix is a hollow cylinder that connects the lower part of a woman’s uterus to her vagina. Most cervical cancers begin in cells on the surface of the cervix.
sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs ᴏғ ᴄᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ
Many women with cervical cancer don’t realize they have the disease early on because it usually doesn’t cause symptoms until the late stages. When symptoms do appear, they’re easily mistaken for common conditions like menstrual periods and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
ᴛʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs ᴀʀᴇ:
📍unusual bleeding, like in between periods, after sex, or after menopause.
📍vaginal discharge that looks or smells different than usual
📍pain in the pelvis
📍needing to urinate more often
📍pain during urination
If you notice any of these symptoms, see your doctor for an examination.
ᴄᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs
Most cervical cancer cases are caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). This is the same virus that causes genital warts.
📌There are about 100 different strains of HPV. Only certain types cause cervical cancer. The two types that most commonly cause cancer are HPV-16 and HPV-18.
💥Being infected with a cancer-causing strain of HPV doesn’t mean you’ll get cervical cancer. Your immune system eliminates the vast majority of HPV infections, often within 2 years.
⛳HPV can also cause other cancers in women and men. These include:
📍vulvar cancer
📍vaginal cancer
📍penile cancer
📍anal cancer
📍rectal cancer
📍throat cancer
HPV is a very common infection
ᴄᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ʀɪsᴋ ғᴀᴄᴛᴏʀs
HPV is the biggest risk for cervical cancer. Other factors that can also increase your risk include:
📍HIV
📍chlamydia
📍smoking
📍obesity
📍a family history of cervical cancer
📍a diet low in fruits and vegetables
📍taking birth control pills
📍having three full-term pregnancies
📍being younger than 17 when you got pregnant for the first time
📌Here are a few other ways you can reduce your risk of HPV and cervical cancer:
📍limit the number of sexual partners you have
📍always use a condom or other barrier method when you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
Recommendable Pre-examinations
💥HPV (Human papilloma virus) Test
💥Pap-smear Screen (LBC)
💥Ages 21 to 29: Get a Pap smear once every 3 years.
💥Ages 30 to 65: Get a Pap smear once every 3 years, get a high-risk HPV (hrHPV) test every 5 years, or get a Pap smear plus hrHPV test every 5 years.
