Condition Center: Cervical Cancer

This informational guide, part of POPSUGAR's Condition Center, lays out the realities of this health concern: what it is, what it can look like, and strategies that medical experts say are proven to help. You should always consult your doctor regarding matters pertaining to your health and before starting any course of medical treatment.

Editor's Note: We at POPSUGAR recognize that people of many genders and identities have a cervix, not just those who are women. For this particular story, we interviewed sources who generally referred to people with cervixes as women.

Cervical cancer is the fourth-most common type of cancer in women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) around the world, with over 13,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone, according to the CDC. The condition has garnered tons of attention lately after the passing of beauty influencer Jessica Pettway, 36, who had stage 3 cervical cancer and was originally misdiagnosed with fibroids.

Part of a group of gynecologic cancers (any cancer affecting the female reproductive system), cervical cancer is most often diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 44, says Bhavana Pothuri, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at the NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center.

While the statistics around cervical cancer can be intimidating, many types are preventable with early detection via screening and HPV vaccination, according to the CDC. Here, Dr. Pothuri explains what to know about preventing the condition — as well as early symptoms to keep an eye out for and the latest treatment options.

Cervical cancer occurs when malignant cells form in the tissues of the cervix, which is the "muscular, tunnel-like organ" that connects your uterus and vagina, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The two most common types of cervical cancer are:

Early cervical cancer often does not show symptoms, Dr. Pothuri says, though it can be caught through screenings. When early-stage cervical cancer symptoms do occur (which again is rare), per the American Cancer Society, they may include:

Later-stage symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

According to the CDC, nearly all cervical cancer is caused by human papilloma virus (aka HPV). HPV is a sexually-transmitted infection (STI) and is spread through spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex and intimate skin-to-skin contact. It's also highly common, likely to affect almost everyone at some point in their life — thought most infections go away on their own within two years. Approximately 80-90 percent of us will have HPV in our lifetime if we've had any sexual contact, but very few of us will have cervical cancer.

There are over 100 strains of HPV; of those, about 14 are considered high risk, according to the National Cancer Institute. If you become infected with a high-risk strain, and your immune system doesn't resolve the infection, it may cause precancerous cells to form (i.e. those that, if left alone, may turn into cancer). These mutated cells may become cancerous if they aren't detected (which is possible through Pap tests) and removed. HPV can lead to multiple types of cancer, including cancer of the cervix, anus, penis, vagina, vulva, and oropharynx (the back of the mouth and top of the throat).

While HPV causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer, other factors can increase your risk. According to the American Cancer Society, these include:

Cervical cancer treatment depends upon the stage of the cancer, says says Ritu Salani, MD, the director of Gynecologic Oncology at UCLA. Treatment options include:

When it comes to preventing cervical cancer, the best thing you can do is get your HPV vaccine series, which reduces your risk of cervical cancer by nearly 90 percent, according to a 2020 study in the New England Journal of Medicine. This consists of either two shots in your preteen years (ideally ages 11 to 12) or three shots if you start the series later, at ages 15 through 26, according to the CDC. Doctors recommend getting the HPV vaccine at these younger ages, as you're less likely to have been exposed to HPV already, but anyone under the age of 45 is eligible for the vaccine. But even if you've been vaccinated, Dr. Salani recommends practicing safe sex, such as using a condom, to lower your risk of HPV and cervical cancer.

In addition to getting vaccinated for HPV, you should also schedule regular Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer. The CDC recommends getting Pap tests starting at age 21. If your results are negative, you can get a Pap test every three years; if you're also HPV-negative, you may be able to schedule it for every five years, so talk to your doctor about the best schedule for you. (If you have abnormal Pap test results, your doctor may recommend more frequent and/or additional screenings.)

Thanks to the HPV vaccine, Pap tests, and safe sex practices, it's very possible to catch cervical cancer early on or even prevent it altogether. "The key thing is just to get screened," Dr. Salani says. "Pap/HPV testing is only for cervical cancer, it does not detect uterine cancer or ovarian cancer, but it is really critical and should be part of routine healthcare."