Almost all cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a very common virus spread through sexual contact. Most people catch HPV at some point and clear it without ever knowing. The problem is a small number of high-risk HPV types that, if they stay in the body for years, can change cells in the cervix and slowly turn them into cancer.
How HPV turns into cancer
The process is slow. An HPV infection causes abnormal cells in the cervix, but it usually takes ten to fifteen years for those cells to become cancer. That long gap is exactly why screening works. A pap smear picks up the abnormal cells while there is still plenty of time to treat them.
Other things that raise the risk
- Smoking, which makes it harder for the body to clear HPV
- Living with HIV, because a weakened immune system struggles to fight the virus
- Having many full-term pregnancies
- Long-term use of the contraceptive pill, though this risk drops after stopping
It is one of the most preventable cancers
Cervical cancer is preventable in two ways. The HPV vaccine protects against the main high-risk types and is given to girls at school in South Africa, though adults can also get it privately. And regular pap smears catch abnormal cells early. Together they make cervical cancer far less common than it used to be.
Find a gynaecologist near you to discuss screening and the HPV vaccine.