This Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, here's everything you need to know about cervical cancer (including the signs to look out for)

Elle Turner and Bianca LondonUpping your workout routine? These are the very best workout clothes that'll make you *genuinely* excited to exercise Upping your workout routine? These are the very best workout clothes that'll make you *genuinely* excited to exercise "The main cause of cervical cancer is a virus called high-risk human papillomavirus . High-risk HPV sometimes causes changes in the cells of the cervix, which can develop into cervical cancer.

The most important step is to attend your regular smear tests when invited. The smear test does not prevent pre-cancerous changes, but it does find them early and at a simply treatable stage in nearly all cases. Being armed with the correct facts is vital when it comes to health, so it’s important for people to understand exactly why smear tests are so important and what the process of going for one really involves.

Now that the first recipients of the HPV vaccine are of an age to have smear tests, can you comment on its success in reducing cervical cancer? "Since the NHS started offering HPV vaccination to teenage girls in 2008, and boys from 2019, more than 11 million have been vaccinated. Recent studies have shown that rates of infection with HPV 16 and 18 are down from 15% to 2% in those vaccinated. Pre-cancerous cervical changes have so far been shown to be reduced by 51% in teenage girls, and by 31% in women aged 20-24. An added benefit is that rates of infection with HPV types 6 and 11, that cause genital warts have also halved, to 4%.

It usually takes at least 10 years to develop cervical cancer after HPV infection, and in many cases much longer. This means that it is too soon to yet see a significant drop in rates of clinical cancer, but with very high levels of reduction in the prevalence of the high risk HPV types that cause nearly all cervical cancers, a fall in rates of cancer is highly likely to show itself soon.

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