Nine Things You Need to Know About Cervical Cancer

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month! - How well versed are you on cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV)? Given that this month is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, now is a better time than ever. Read the top facts you need to know now. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: ERproductions Ltd/Blend Images/Corbis)

1 / 9

It’s National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month! - How well versed are you on cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV)? Given that this month is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, now is a better time than ever. Read the top facts you need to know now. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: ERproductions Ltd/Blend Images/Corbis)

Understanding Cervical Cancer - Cervical cancer is the cancer of your cervix, which is right below your uterus. Normally, the cancer begins in the cells lining your cervix wall, starting off as pre-cancerous cells and in time developing into cancerous ones. Cervical cancer is treatable and can strike women of all ages, young and older.  (Photo: Photo Quest Ltd/Science Photo Library/Corbis) 

2 / 9

Understanding Cervical Cancer - Cervical cancer is the cancer of your cervix, which is right below your uterus. Normally, the cancer begins in the cells lining your cervix wall, starting off as pre-cancerous cells and in time developing into cancerous ones. Cervical cancer is treatable and can strike women of all ages, young and older.  (Photo: Photo Quest Ltd/Science Photo Library/Corbis) 

Cervical Cancer Is Not a Game for Black Women - Of the 2,000 Black women diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, a whopping 40 percent of us will die from the disease. This is due to a range of factors, including poor access to health care, high rates of HPV infections and being diagnosed with cancer way too late for treatment to be as effective as it could be.  (Photo: JGI/Tom Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

3 / 9

Cervical Cancer Is Not a Game for Black Women - Of the 2,000 Black women diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, a whopping 40 percent of us will die from the disease. This is due to a range of factors, including poor access to health care, high rates of HPV infections and being diagnosed with cancer way too late for treatment to be as effective as it could be.  (Photo: JGI/Tom Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

HPV Causes Very Few Cervical Cancers - Not to be confused with HIV, the STD human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV is a virus that normally clears itself up in women on its own, but when it doesn't, it can turn the cells in your cervix to be pre-cancerous. But most cervical cancer is not caused by HPV.  (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/Corbis)

4 / 9

HPV Causes Very Few Cervical Cancers - Not to be confused with HIV, the STD human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV is a virus that normally clears itself up in women on its own, but when it doesn't, it can turn the cells in your cervix to be pre-cancerous. But most cervical cancer is not caused by HPV.  (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/Corbis)

…Cigarettes Are Not Their Friends - Researchers have found that smoking cigarettes breaks down the elastin in breasts, which leaves them less supported and saggy.  (Photo by Daniel Barry/Getty Images)

5 / 9

Know the Other Risk Factors - In addition to untreated HPV, other factors that increase a woman’s risk for cervical cancer are smoking, being HIV-positive, having been on birth control five or more years and having had three or more children. (Photo: Daniel Barry/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Almost Everyone Has HPV - Got HPV? Do not freak out. You are not alone — nearlly all sexualy active adults in their lifetime will have HPV. And while HPV does clear itself up, which is great, in Black women it can take up to six months longer than white women, which actually raises our risk for developing cervical cancer. Pap smears/tests are important. (Photo: DAVID MACK/Science Photo Library/Corbis)

6 / 9

Almost Everyone Has HPV - Got HPV? Do not freak out. You are not alone — nearlly all sexualy active adults in their lifetime will have HPV. And while HPV does clear itself up, which is great, in Black women it can take up to six months longer than white women, which actually raises our risk for developing cervical cancer. Pap smears/tests are important. (Photo: DAVID MACK/Science Photo Library/Corbis)

462633689

7 / 9

Cervical Cancer Rarely Have Symptoms - It’s not often that cervical cancer presents many symptoms. Yet when they do, they may include bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, like after sex or in between periods; pelvic pain; pain during sex; and vaginal discharge that is abnormal.  (Photo: shank_ali/GettyImages)

You Gotta Get Screened - The only way to know if you have cervical cancer and/or HPV is to get screened. It’s recommended that young women should get a pap smear and HPV test every three years. If you've had an irregular pap smear before or have been treated for pre-cancerous cells, you have to get checked more often.  (Photo: GARO/phanie/Phanie Sarl/Corbis)

8 / 9

You Gotta Get Screened - The only way to know if you have cervical cancer and/or HPV is to get screened. It’s recommended that young women should get a pap smear and HPV test every three years. If you've had an irregular pap smear before or have been treated for pre-cancerous cells, you have to get checked more often.  (Photo: GARO/phanie/Phanie Sarl/Corbis)

183056006

9 / 9

Take Control! - Cervical cancer doesn’t have to be your problem. There are things that you can do now such as quit smoking, use condoms more often, get tested and get vaccinated for HPV.  (Photo: Catherine Lane/Getty Images)