Cervical cancer can be described as a common cancer which is capable of affecting the cervix which is an area attached to the uterus and lying right below it, then spread to the uterus itself, the vaginal wall and also metastasize to the other body parts. It is imperative for the medical community to identify the causes of cervical cancer which is associated with the contraction of various types of HPV (human papillomavirus). Most women with this condition usually test positive to an earlier contagion of HPV, which is usually without symptoms.
Risk Factors in Relation to Cervical Cancer
Although the causes of cervical cancer are not exactly known, it may be developed through risk factors like having sexual experience with multiple partners, indulging in unsafe sex, smoking and being sexually active at a young age. What causes cervical cancer is largely attributed to medical history and more so, lifestyle patterns especially in regard to sexual habits which plays a major role in the chances of women developing the disease.
Human Papillomavirus
HPV is significant risk factor to the contraction of cervical cancer and it infects the external genitals, the genital tract and the area surrounding the anus. Though there are numerous genetic varieties of HPV, some are not dangerous. There are particular types which are capable of transmission during sexual intercourse, thus increasing the risk of an abnormal cell growth (cell dysplasia) which is one of the major causes of cervical cancer once it progresses. The types of HPV responsible for producing genital warts (raised, flat or bumpy lesions) are distinct from those that lead to cervical cancer. There is however a double risk of contracting an unusual Pap smear in women with genital warts in their lineage.
Poverty and Ignorance
What causes cervical cancer may be related to a factor like poverty because poor women have limitations in accessing medical services to enhance the detection and treatment of cervical conditions, which are precancerous. Once such women develop this condition, the disease is neither diagnosed nor treated until it spreads to other body parts. Poor women are usually undernourished and the risk of cervical cancer may increase due to poor nutrition.
What causes cervical cancer in some people is simply ignorance or the failure to have regular tests thus increasing the chances of the disease being unrecognized. Women whose diet is not inclusive of vegetables and fruits as well as those with a weakened immune system have a higher chance of developing cervical cancer.