Cervical cancer is the abnormal growth of tissues near the cervix. Hence its name is like that. This article lists and discusses the warning signs and screening tests for cervical cancer. Keep in mind that cervical cancer is just as dangerous as the popular and common breast cancer. Cervical cancer is mainly caused by sexual intercourse. It can be considered as a direct effect of sexually transmitted diseases.
Early cervical cancers are usually asymptomatic. This means that they do not show any symptoms since cancer cells take years to grow. Infections and other health problems can also have similar symptoms. Therefore, it is best to consult with an obstetrician and gynecologist to rule out possible health problems and receive the appropriate treatment as soon as possible.
The most common symptom of cervical cancer is bleeding from the vagina at times other than the menstrual period. You may have bleeding:
– Between periods
– After or during sex
– At any time if you are postmenopausal
– Vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor
– Discomfort or pain during sex itself
Screening tests such as cervical smear tests should be done annually. This should be taken into account as the risks of having sex. In short, when you start having sex, check these smear tests. What this cervical smear test does is detect abnormalities in the cervix, often identifying abnormalities caused by ‘HPV’ (a virus that causes cervical cancer). There are two types of smear tests. The first is the “glass side”; which is the most common and the ‘ThinPrep Pap Smear’.
Note that postmenopausal women still need to undergo smear tests. However, Pap tests are not designed to detect ‘HPV’ but can identify changes due to ‘HPV’ infections. A separate test, the ‘HPV’ test can be used to detect the ‘HPV’ virus itself.