What is the cervix?
The cervix is the lower end of the uterus, where it opens into the vagina. The cervix undergoes changes in shape and structure during the course of a woman’s life (puberty, labour, menopause). Most cervical cancer starts in the very fragile area between the external part of the cervix (ectocervix) and the internal part (endocervix).

What causes cervical cancer?
Unlike many other cancers, cervical cancer is not inherited.
In fact, a virus is nearly always the cause. It is called human papillomavirus and is able to transform the cells of the cervix into abnormal cells. These cells can, in a small number of cases, develop into cancerous cells.

There are many types of human papillomaviruses. Most of them are harmless, but others can be quite serious, like the ones that can cause cervical cancer.

Once you know the facts: tell your friends, tell your family

How are human papillomavirus and cervical cancer related?
Human papillomavirus is extremely common - up to 80% of sexually active women will have an infection in their lifetime. Most infections have no noticeable symptoms and over 90% of infections are cleared by your body’s immune response within a year. If your body does not clear the infection, abnormal cells can develop in the lining of the cervix. Over a number of years these abnormal cells known as CIN (cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia) can become cancerous. Rarely this can happen in a shorter time span. In most cases however these changes will be detected by cervical screening and then treated. Fortunately, treatment for CIN is very effective and the risk of CIN returning after treatment is very low.

Image: Development of abnormal cervical cells

At what age does cervical cancer usually strike?
The average age at diagnosis of cervical cancer is 46. The average age at death is 56 years. Women with the earliest stage (called cervical carcinoma in situ) are diagnosed with it on average at 32.