Women smokers are about twice as likely as nonsmokers to
get cervical cancer. Secondhand smoke is also considered a
risk factor.
Women whose mothers took DES (diethylstilbestrol--an
estrogen drug prescribed in 1938-1971) during pregnancy are at risk of a rare
form of vaginal and cervical cancer.
Diet and weight both factor in. Women with diets low in
fruits and vegetables and overweight women both have an increased risk of
contracting the disease.
Women who have a family history of cervical cancer or have
had multiple full term pregnancies are at higher risk.
Many women of lower socioeconomic status often are
uninsured or underinsured and do not have are unable to afford regular pap
smears.
Women who have a sexual history that includes multiple
partners (or partners who have had multiple partners), intercourse at an early
age, unprotected sex, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have increased
chances of cervical cancer. Chlamydia, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are three STDs that are often found as forerunners
of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer among women
worldwide. It is much less common in the developed countries where women have
routine Pap smears that detect the cancerous cells in their earliest form. Most
women diagnosed today with advanced stages of cervical cancer have either not
followed up after an abnormal smear or have not gotten Pap smears on a regular
basis. If you fall into one of those categories, do yourself a favor and call
your doctor today. Don’t become a needless statistic.