Preventing Cervical Cancer

The American Cancer Society recognizes January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month to identify one of the most common cancers that affect women, but also among the most treatable. The disease affected nearly 11,150 women last year and researchers expect the number to rise in 2008, says the American Cancer Society. Most cases of cervical cancer stem from being infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that primarily affects sexually active women. According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, all women should begin cervical cancer screening within three years of becoming sexually active and should undergo annual Pap testing. The American Cancer Society provides this list of risk factors that have been shown to increase chances of developing cervical cancer:

• Smoking exposes the entire body to many cancer-causing chemicals that are absorbed by the lungs and carried in the bloodstream throughout the body. Women who smoke are twice as likely as non-smokers to get cervical cancer.
• HIV, which can lead to AIDS, damages the body’s immune system, it makes women more at risk for HPV infections, which may increase the risk of cervical cancer.
• Women who are overweight or with diets low in fruits and vegetables may be at increased risk for cervical cancer.
• Using oral contraceptives (birth control) for five or more years can increase in the risk of cervical cancer. Women who use OCs longer than 10 years can be four times as vulnerable.
• Women who have had many full-term pregnancies have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer.
• Clamydia is a relatively common kind of bacteria, spread through sexual contact, which can infect the female reproductive system. Women may not know they are infected unless samples taken at the time of their Pap test are analyzed for this type of bacteria.
• If your mother or sister had cervical cancer, your chances of developing the disease are more than twice as likely.

For more information on detecting and preventing cervical cancer, check out the American Cancer Society’s guide to avoiding risk factors.