The main cause for this form of cancer is what is called as human papillomavirus (HPV) which is a sexually transmitted infection. There are various causes that could lead to this condition, obviously the most crucial one being the number of sexual partners. This is bad news for the sex workers and other helpless women stuck in these rackets because the higher your number of sexual partners the greater your chances of acquiring HPV. Another interesting cause of HPV is early sexual activity. Girls who start out with their sexual adventures at an early age have a greater chance of contracting HPV. Another high probable reason is the existence of other sexually transmitted infections such as HIV-AIDS that increases the risk of HPV. Last but not the least; smoking is another cause of HPV.
Sadly, most cases of HPV are not easily detectable because there are no symptoms available. In some cases, there’s bleeding after intercourse or excess vaginal discharge. There may also be a pain in the pelvic region, sometimes normally and other times only during sex!
The primary and main test for cervical cancer is called the Pap test and women are advised to start getting this done yearly after the age of 21. So you know the first thing to do on your 21st birthday. For those in the low-risk category, getting screened once in 2-3 years is also fine. For those above the age of 30, a new test called the HPV DNA test, can determine if infection by a "high-risk strain" is present. In other words, it can warn the physician to abnormal cells that are likely to become cancerous.
If caught in early stages, the cancerous cells can be kicked out of the body by a small surgery or biopsy. In other cases which are more severe, the entire uterus may need to be removed to save the patient’s life and prevent them from spreading to the entire body.
Two vaccines, marketed as Gardasil and Cervarix, protect against the most common strains of HPV. Both are indicated for cervical cancer prevention in 11- to 12-year-old girls, as well as females between 13 and 26 who have never had the vaccine before in their life. Speak to your doctor and figure it out!