Many women are wondering how do you get cervical cancer. This is actually a very important question to ask by women. That can give them motivation to find the answer which can help reduce the risk of getting the cancer.
Cervical Cancer
What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is an abnormal and malignant growth of cancerous tissues in the cervix. It is a very dangerous cancer similar to breast cancer. It is usually caused by some of the common sexually transmitted diseases. Thus, what causes cervical cancer can somehow be related to sexual intercourse.
Cervical cancer is basically asymptomatic. You won’t know you have the cancer unless it has become a later stage. However, it is still advisable to be aware of the different signs and symptoms of this cancer. That can give you an idea if you need to visit a doctor to diagnose if you are prone to the cancer.
The most common symptoms of the cancer are vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding, pain during sex, pain in the pelvic area and frequent urination. The discharge is abnormal when it is yellow in color, watery, sticky, thick and has unpleasant smell. Abnormal bleeding usually occurs outside your menstrual cycle. It also happens during and after sexual intercourse. For those who have experiences post menopausal, there is also a possibility to bleed again which may indicate that the cancer has developed.
What causes cervical cancer to develop and grow to later stages?
Like what is stated previously, cervical cancer is caused mainly by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These STDs include Chlamydia, human papilloma virus or HPV and human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. That is the answer to your question regarding how do you get cervical cancer.
Most of the symptoms are visible and obvious during later stages. Yet, it would be fortunate to notice them even during the early stages so you can prevent the cancerous cells from spreading. It is really recommended to prevent and treat cervical cancer as soon as possible. Luckily, there are a few ways on how you can prevent and determine if you are prone to the cancer.
How can you prevent or fight off cervical cancer?
Of course, abstinence of sexual intercourse can really help a lot. As much as possible, you stick with only one partner. Multiple sex partners are more prone to have this cancer. Your first goal must be to avoid having any sexually transmitted diseases so you won’t’ have any chance of having a cervical cancer. Remember that STDs are how can you get cervical cancer.
The most important of all is to have protection everytime you sleep with a partner. You are not sure on how or from whom you can get infected with STD that may cause you to have cervical cancer.
If you have been sexually active recently, you must visit your gynecologist regularly for check-up. He or she can examine your vagina from the cells to tissues so that any signs of the cancer can be detected. A good method to determine if you have cervical cancer or at risk is pat smear. This is a reliable test that you must take annually to ensure you are safe from the cancer. Even if you are at risk, at least you have plenty of time to prevent is which is actually effective.
There are also other cervical cancer vaccine and medications a gynecologist can provide. Those also help in preventing the cancer.
Now that you know how do you get cervical cancer, you must practice a safe sex all the time and live a healthier life. Do not also disregard the significance of visiting your doctor regularly for early detection, treatment and tips.