The lower part of the uterus that connects the uterus to the vagina is called the cervix. This part of the female reproductive system can be affected by cancer, but the cases are rare. Only about seven women in one thousand are experiencing such a problem. The causes are not fully known, but it is known that the human papilloma virus (HPV) is a trigger for this form of cancer. This virus is transmitted during sexual activity. Cervical cancer prevention is a very important thing. There are ways to do this and one of the most efficient is the use of condoms.
Considering the Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer
While the infection with the HPV virus is very contagious, cervical cancer itself is not infectious at all. There are also other risk factors than the HPV virus, such as age, smoking, the use of contraceptive pills for an extended period of time, giving birth to multiple children, not having regular Pap tests and a synthetic hormone called diethylstilbestrol. The virus is very common to people who have regular sexual activity, as it is transmitted through skin contact.
Tobacco contains chemicals that can damage cervix cells and increases the risks of cancer. Women of more than thirty-five years old are usually the ones who develop this form of cancer, while those under 25 have a very low chance to develop it. The use of contraceptive pills for more than five years can increase the risks for women who have an HPV infection.
Through Pap tests, cancerous cells can be detected before they begin to spread. According to studies, women who have more than five children and are infected by HPV have an increased risk to develop cervical cancer. Diethylstilbestrol or DES is a synthetic type of estrogen – a female hormone. This is a drug used to prevent miscarriage and different other complications of pregnancy and can affect daughters that have received this hormone before birth.
Cervical Cancer Prevention: The Importance of Using Condoms for this Purpose
Prevention can be possible if women consider all the risk factors presented above. Additional prevention methods can be a special vaccine meant for this purpose and the use of condoms for having safe sex. There is scientific proof that condoms can protect women against the virus that triggers cervical cancer. A study made over three years on female college students (virgins) has revealed that the students who had a partner using condoms during sexual activity were seventy percent less exposed to the human papilloma virus.
It is well known how condoms can really protect people against AIDS and unwanted pregnancy and now scientists are thrilled of this new discovery. The reason is that HPV is the most commonly transmitted virus through sexual intercourse. It can affect more than eighty percent of sexually active young women in the first five years after they started their sexual life.
Cervical cancer prevention can be very important for women and their partners, because the infection that triggers this rarer form of cancer is actually a very common one. The best way to do it is to prevent the HPV infection itself and this can be done by following some simple, but effective rules. One of them, which is the most important, is that male partners should always wear a condom during sex.
Author bio:
Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to health and alternative medicine. She had recently done some research about cervical and breast cancer as the most common women health problem. Useful information for this article has been kindly provided by condomsaustralia.net.au.
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