4 Ways You Can Try & Prevent Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a kind of cancer that develops in the cervix of a woman. Cervix is an area between the uterus and vagina. It is preventable if diagnosed in early stages. Going for regular pap tests and taking a HPV vaccine can significantly lower the risk of cervical cancer. These symptoms include abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods, low back and lower abdominal pain, postcoital bleeding and strange smelling discharge. If not diagnosed in time, it can be life threatening and requires intense treatment. Following are the ways you can prevent cervical cancer. 

1. Prevention of cervical cancer: There is usually no certain way of preventing cervical cancer, but by following a number of practices there is a possibility that you can prevent it. There are 3 major ways of prevention of cervical cancer, which include the following:
2. Safe sex: Major cases of cervical cancer are caused due to an infection by a virus known as human papillomavirus or HPV. This virus is usually transmitted by sexual means and having unprotected sex might leave you at the risk of getting infected by this virus during the sexual intercourse.  You should practice safe sex using protection such as condoms. This reduces your chances of being infected by the virus. This virus is transmitted via all types of sexual contact, which includes skin contact between the genitals. People who have unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners are at an increased risk of getting cervical cancer due to the HPV virus.
3. Cervical screening and vaccination: Having a cervical screening or pap smear test on a regular basis is an efficient way to detect abnormal changes in the cervix cells, at a very early stage. Even if you are being vaccinated for the HPV virus, cervical screening is essential as the vaccines against HPV virus are not always successful in providing protection from cervical cancer. If you had been previously treated for abnormal changes in the cervix cells, you should undertake more frequent screening tests. The regularity of undergoing cervical screening depends on the severity of the cell change. You should report any symptom you experience in spite of having regular cervical screening. Several vaccines are used for protection from HPV infections.  
4. Avoid smoking: You can prevent the chances of having cervical cancer by giving up smoking. In case of  smokers, it is more difficult to eliminate the HPV infection from the body, and the chances of cervical cancer get enhanced. You can undertake various measures in order to quit smoking and prescribed medicines can be used to treat withdrawal symptoms.

Cervical cancer causes great strain on the body and it may spread all over the pelvic region. In some cases, distant tissues are also affected by cervical cancer. You should consult a doctor immediately after experiencing any symptom of cervical cancer. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.