Cervical Cancer

What Are the Causes?

It isn’t clear what causes cervical cancer, but HPV certainly plays a role. There are several risk factors linked to the disease, among them:

• Early sexual activities
• Multiple sexual partners
• Pregnancies more than five times
• Sexually transmitted infections, for example, HPV
• Poor personal genital hygiene
• Tobacco smoking
• Low body defence mechanism

Most people that have HPV never develop cancer; hence other factors such as your environment or lifestyle choices may determine whether or not you’ll develop cancer.

• Avoiding the midday sun between 10 am to 4 pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest.
• Stay in the shade when outdoors. Sunglasses and a hat can help block some of that sunlight.
• Cover up as much of your skin as possible and wear a colour that reflects UV radiation, such as bright or dark colours.
• Apply sunscreen of at least SPF 30 even on cloudy days.

Get Vaccinated

Protection against viral infections is essential in preventing cancers.

• Hepatitis B can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. Vaccine for Hepatitis B is recommended for certain adults at high risk – especially adults who are sexually active but not in mutually monogamous relationships, people with sexually transmitted infections, people who use intravenous drugs, healthcare or public safety workers exposed to infected blood or body fluids.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical, other genital cancers, and squamous cell cancers in the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys ages 11 and 12.

Regular Medical Check-ups

Increase your chance of discovering cancer early and increase the likeliness of treatment to be successful through regular self-exams and screening for various types of cancers.