The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that serves as a channel for the fertilized egg to pass into the uterus. During pregnancy, it acts as a support for the uterus to bear the fetus. When it is time for delivery, the cervix opens, thus allowing the uterus to contract and push out the baby.

Some of the symptoms include heavy and painful menstrual bleeding, bleeding after menopause, severe and constant pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, and foul-smelling vaginal discharge.

Risk factors for cervical cancer are mentioned below:

1. HPV infections
HPV is otherwise known as human papillomavirus. There are many types of HPV viruses among which HPV16 and HVP18 are the main risk factors for cervical cancer. Men and women become infected with HPV through sexual contact, and soon after the infection sets in, some lesions may develop. These are called precancerous lesions. While at times some of these lesions may resolve on their own, they can also progress and become cancerous lesions causing cervical cancer. It is said that the virus causes mutations in the DNA of the cervical cells and causes the lesions to develop. The HPV vaccine is available and highly recommended in people with multiple sexual partners to prevent infection.

2. Smoking
Smoking creates negative impacts on the body’s immune system, which might allow infections easily to evade through the cervical epithelium like HPV or chlamydia. The body’s frailty and inability to fight back the infection can give rise to lesions. Smoking also causes severe changes in the cells of the cervical epithelium and cervical mucus thus increasing the risk of malignancy. Studies have shown that cervical mucus collected from women diagnosed with cervical cancer had tobacco content.

3. Weak immune system
Immune system is very important to fight any disease, even cancer. If women have a weakened immune system, they are prone to developing infections with HPV, chlamydia, and HIV, especially when they are sexually active and have multiple partners. These infections suppress the immune system, which consists of lymphocytes that are further divided into B cells and T cells. B cells produce antibodies against the infection while T cells are fighter cells that fight the infection. These are drastically reduced when the immune system is impaired.

4. Birth control pills
These are proven to be a risk factor for cervical cancer in addition to breast and ovarian cancer. Though there is no clear-cut picture as to how it causes cervical cancer, it is believed that prolonged use of birth control pills may promote intraepithelial neoplasia of the cervical cells. This is the process of causing an alteration in the genetic material and loss of normal function of the cervical cells.