Cervical cancer does not show any symptoms and signs unless it’s in the final stages. There will always be signs, but in most cases, they are misinterpreted and ignored. The symptoms of cervical cancer in the early stages can be missed, and hence a routine check-up is advised to all women, so the cancer isn’t left untreated. The routine check-up is basically called Pap and women who are 21 and above are advised to take the test to check if there are symptoms of cervical cancer. Pap test, though not one hundred percent accurate, is still the most reliable and effective screening method for cancer.

Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer

Knowing about the symptoms of cervical cancer will help people become more aware and now misinterpret the signs or ignore. The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are vaginal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, and pelvic pain. The vaginal bleeding is the bleeding post sexual intercourse or postmenopausal or bleeding in between periods. There are other signs of cervical cancer that include weight loss, fatigue, leg pain, leakage of urine or when there is secretion of feces from the vagina, bone fracture, and back pain. Some of these signs could be because of other problems but having yourself checked nonetheless is the right way to stay healthy.

Causes and risk factors for cervical cancer

Knowing signs and symptoms of cervical cancer and the causes and risk factors of cervical cancer can prevent you from getting cancer. There are general risk factors, some risk factors are linked with genetics, some are lifestyle based, and in rare or exceptional cases, there are other conditions that lead to cervical cancer.

• The general risk factors include pregnancy where women who had three or more full-term pregnancies and women who had a full-term pregnancy before they turned 17. In these cases, women are likely to develop cervical cancer. Women who fall in these criteria should get themselves tested and screened at regular intervals or as per the physician suggests.
• In genetics, the risk factor for cervical cancer becomes the family history. Women who have a sister or mother who has or had cervical cancer are likely to have cancer themselves too.
• Lifestyle impacts a human’s body the most when it comes to cancer and any other disease. Women with a certain type of sexual history could lead them to develop a cervical cancer. A woman can catch an HPV infection depending on her sexual behavior. The behavior includes having sex before the age of 18, having multiple sexual partners or having a sexual relationship with someone who has multiple sexual partners.
• Smoking is another lifestyle risk factor that could lead to cervical cancer. Smoking doubles the risk of developing cervical cancer in women.
• Consuming oral contraceptives increases the risk of getting cervical cancer. Though, it is important to understand the right consumption of oral contraceptives. Consuming the contraceptives for more than five years can be damaging to the woman’s body and lead to developing cervical cancer. One can decrease the risk by stop taking oral contraceptives.

These symptoms and risk factors for cervical cancer are important to know to prevent oneself from getting cancer and lead a healthy life.