C. Booth
Last Updated on September 27, 2020
First of all, it is important to know what is cervical cancer – this is a kind of cancer that only women can have, and it occurs in the cells that make the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus.
Cervical cancer survival rates have gone up since the 1960s, according to the world health organization. Of course, early detection is the key, so every woman should be aware of the warning signs of cervical cancer. But more than being aware of the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, women should know what things constitute cervical cancer risk factors.
#1 – You Have Suffered From HPV
Human papillomavirus is at the top of the list of cervical cancer risk factors, and it’s at the same time one of the sexually transmitted diseases people are most likely to get during their lifetime, with a percentage of 80% of people being infected with HPV during their lives as sexually active individuals.
Most cervix cancer cases are somehow connected to HPV, and even though there are more than 200 types of this virus, only a few fit into the high-risk category of leading to cervical cancer, and 70% of cervix cancer cases happen due to two of the types.
The body is able to clear about 90% of HPV infections on its own, without the need for any treatment, but when this doesn’t happen, the virus has the ability to change the cells of the cervix, and if this is not treated it can turn into cancer.
#2 – You Have Taken Birth Control For Most Of Your Lifetime
Health departments have investigated the link between hormones used in birth control and the likelihood of a woman developing an HPV infection, as well as an increment in the difficulty of getting rid of that same infection.
Taking oral contraception for a period of five years or more doesn’t necessarily translate into cancer, but it can take a toll on women’s health and increase the risk of cancer.
#3 – You Smoke
We all know that smoking is often associated with higher risks of developing mouth, throat or lung cancer, but you probably didn’t know it also increases the risk of cervical cancer.
The smoke from cigarettes can activate the HPV virus. When studying the cervical mucus of female smokers, researchers have been able to find tobacco byproducts, and it has been estimated that women that smoke are twice more likely to develop cervical cancer.
#4 – Your Immune System Is Weak
Weak immune systems have a lot more trouble fighting off any infections, and this is why women with weak immune systems that suffer from HIV or AIDS need to take immune-suppressing medications – because if they didn’t, they would be at a higher risk of developing HPV and cervical cancer.
Affordable health insurance is a top priority in these cases when treating a disease is an important part of preventing another disease. There are many cervical cancer stages, but for women whose immune system is unable to destroy the cancer cells or slow down the pace in which they grow and spread, cervical pre-cancer may evolve faster than it’s normal.
#5 – Pregnancy History
Researchers haven’t been able to find the link between a woman’s pregnancy history and the development of cervical cancer, but they have found connections.
Apparently, women who have gotten pregnant before the age of 17 are more likely to suffer from this kind of cancer, and the same goes for women who have carried out multiple full-term pregnancies.
#6 – You Don’t Eat Fruits And Vegetables
The lifestyle we adopt can play a big role in our behavioral health and on our physical health. Having a healthy diet, and including a lot of fruits and vegetables can be of great help when the body needs to fight infections like HPV because those kinds of food are rich in antioxidants.
Theoretically, women of low-income, who are less able to purchase healthy food, are more likely to develop this type of cancer.
#7 – Being a DES baby
Between the years of 1940 and 1971, some women were prescribed a hormonal drug by the name of diethylstilbestrol (DES). This drug was used, at the time, to prevent miscarriages, and it was discontinued. But there have been cases were women who developed cervical cancer were proven to have been exposed to DES while in the uterus.
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