Cervical cancer
Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor.
Having one or more risk factors does not mean you will get cervical cancer.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of cervical cancer. Practising safe sex can reduce the chances of HPV infection. Vaccines are available and effective in preventing HPV.
Smoking tobacco increases your risk of getting cervical cancer. The risk increases with the more cigarettes you smoke a day.
Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor.
Having one or more risk factors does not mean you will get cervical cancer.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of cervical cancer. Practising safe sex can reduce the chances of HPV infection. Vaccines are available and effective in preventing HPV.
Smoking tobacco increases your risk of getting cervical cancer. The risk increases with the more cigarettes you smoke a day.
Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer in females in the UK.
Anything that can increase your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor.
Different cancers have different risk factors. Having one or more of these risk factors doesn't mean you will definitely get that cancer.
Cervical cancer is more common in younger females. Most cervical cancer cases diagnosed in the UK each year are in females aged 30 to 34.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes almost all of the main types of cervical cancer.
HPV is common. Most sexually active people come into contact with HPV during their lifetime. But for most the virus causes no harm and goes away on its own.
There are many different types of HPV. Most are harmless but some cause genital warts. Others cause changes that can develop into cancer. As well as cervical cancer, HPV can cause:
anal
vaginal
vulval
penile
some types of mouth and throat cancers
HPV can be passed on through close skin to skin contact, usually during sexual activity.
Around 14 types of HPV are considered high risk for cervical cancer. Two of these types (HPV 16 and HPV 18) cause about 70 out of 100 (70%) of all cervical cancer cases.
In most people, the immune system clears about half of HPV infections within 6 to 12 months. But sometimes this doesn't happen. If you have a long lasting (persistent) infection with a high risk type of HPV, you are more at risk of developing cervical cancer.
Anyone who has been sexually active is at risk of HPV infection. HPV is spread through any kind of sexual activity including:
oral sex
touching in the genital area
vaginal sex
anal sex
sharing sex toys
You can reduce the risk of getting HPV by using barrier methods such as condoms and dental dams. This doesn’t provide complete protection, but it helps to reduce the risk.
Practising safer sex will also help to protect you against many sexually transmitted diseases.
There are now vaccines to prevent HPV infection. All boys and girls aged 12 or 13 in the UK are routinely offered the HPV vaccine at school. These vaccines protect against the types of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer. But they don't protect against all types. So, you still need to take part in cervical screening, even if you have had the HPV vaccine.
Find out more about HPV, including vaccination
Having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS increases the risk of developing cervical cancer. This risk might be reduced in women who are having treatment for HIV.
The risk of cervical cancer may be increased in women who have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) alongside HPV.
Women with both HPV and chlamydia might have a higher risk of cervical cancer. Chlamydia is pronounced klah-mid-ee-ah.
Smoking tobacco increases your risk of getting cervical cancer. The risk increases with the more cigarettes you smoke a day.
It’s never too late to stop smoking, but the sooner you stop, the better.
The contraceptive pill is associated with a slightly higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
Taking the pill for more than 5 years increases the risk of cervical cancer. The increased risk begins to drop as soon as you stop taking it. After 10 years the risk is the same as that of people who had never taken it.
The pill can also slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. But it is important to know that taking the pill can help reduce the risk of womb and ovarian cancers.
You have an increased risk of a type of cervical cancer called if your mother, sister or daughter has had cervical cancer. We don’t know whether this is linked to faulty genes or is due to shared environmental factors, including human papillomavirus (HPV).
Find out more about family history of cancer and inherited cancer genes
For detailed information go to the Cancer Statistics section
Stories about possible cancer causes are often in the media and it can be hard to know what’s true and what’s not. You may have heard of something that isn’t included here. This is because we only include a risk factor in this information if it is supported by good quality evidence.
Find out about common cancer myths and questions on the causes of cancer
Regular cervical screening can prevent cervical cancer by picking up abnormal cell changes in the cervix. These changes could lead to cancer if left untreated.
Cervical screening is available for women between the ages of 25 to 64.
Last reviewed: 12 Sept 2023
Next review due: 12 Sept 2026
Cervical screening is a way of preventing cervical cancer. It is not a test for cancer. It tests for a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV).
An abnormal cervical screening test result means that you have changes in the cells covering the neck of your womb (cervix). Abnormal cervical cells are not the same as cervical cancer.
Not everyone diagnosed with cervical cancer will have symptoms. Things to look out for include unusual vaginal bleeding, pain during sex or vaginal discharge.
You usually start by seeing your GP if you have symptoms that could be due to cervical cancer. Your doctor will then decide whether to do tests or refer you to a specialist.
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of cervical cancer you have, how big it is, whether it has spread (the stage) and the grade. It also depends on your general health.
Cervical cancer is when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix grow uncontrollably and eventually form a growth (tumour).
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