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Can you get cervical cancer without hpv?
Can you get cervical cancer without hpv? This question has always been a topic of concern for young people. As the incidence of cervical cancer tends to be younger from National Library of Medicine, the age of HPV cervical cancer and non-HPV cervical cancer is concentrated between 25-45 years old. In recent years, we often see young bloggers who resist cervical cancer on online social platforms. Therefore, many young people have begun to realize how to protect themselves from cervical cancer. Thus, this article will describe in detail what causes cervical cancer besides HPV.
What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor located in the female cervix. The epithelial cells of the cervix undergo abnormal proliferation and differentiation under the stimulation of various factors and gradually develop into cancer cells. Cervical cancer is one of the common cancers of the female reproductive system. It constantly invades the surrounding tissues and metastasizes to various body parts through lymph, blood, etc.
What are the symptoms of cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer may not show obvious symptoms in the early stage. As cancer progresses, common symptoms as follow from Healthline:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding: irregular bleeding, which occurs between menstruation, after sexual intercourse, or after menopause, especially after sexual intercourse.
- Abnormal vaginal discharge: increased vaginal discharge, bloody vaginal discharge, purulent vaginal discharge, and other abnormal HPV infection mucus cervical cancer discharge.
- Pelvic pain: pain during sexual intercourse or in the pelvic area is a common symptom.
- Pain during sexual intercourse: This may occur as cancer progresses.
These symptoms are not only manifestations of cervical cancer but may also be manifestations of other gynecological diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to go to the hospital for further testing to confirm whether it is cervical cancer.
What percentage of cervical cancer is caused by HPV?
HPV is closely related to cervical cancer. HPV infection is the main factor leading to cervical cancer. Repeated HPV infection will stimulate abnormal proliferation of cervical epithelial cells and develop into cervical cancer, especially aware of high-risk HPV16 and HPV18. 90% of cervical cancer is caused by hpv16 and hpv18. Excessive sexual activity, high-risk sexual behavior, early sexual activity, etc., lead to HPV infection.
Can you get cervical cancer without HPV?
Yes, although HPV is the main factor of cervical cancer, it is not the only one. Non HPV cervical cancer survival rate is 20% over 5 years. How else can you get cervical cancer without HPV?
- Long-term smoking: Tobacco contains harmful substances, which reduce the body’s immunity and cannot eliminate the HPV virus in time, resulting in multiple HPV infections and increasing the risk of cervical cancer.
- Sexual life: Early sexual life, early childbearing, multiple births, cervical erosion, etc., cause damage to the cervical epithelium and lead to the occurrence of cervical cancer.
- Contraceptives: Women who take oral contraceptives for a long time have a relatively high risk of cervical cancer. Because the estrogen in contraceptives may increase the cell division rate in the cervical canal, it increases the risk of cancer.
- Genetic factors: Cervical cancer also has certain family genetic factors. Genes with a family history of cervical cancer may also be more likely to cause mutations.
The number one cause of cervical cancer is HPV—the above only accounts for a small proportion. Most cervical cancers are caused by HPV infection. Therefore, preventing HPV infection can avoid the occurrence of cervical cancer. There is currently no drug on the market that can kill the HPV virus. In other words, there is no radical treatment for HPV infection itself, and it is difficult to recover through antiviral treatment fully.
How to prevent cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is a preventable cancer that is divided into three levels of prevention strategies:
- Primary prevention: Carry out health education, popularize precautions for sexual life, do not share personal items with HPV patients, and get the preventive HPV vaccine, like anti-HPV Vaginal Gel
- Secondary prevention: If you have a promiscuous sex life, multiple sexual partners, and high-risk sexual behavior, then regularly perform HPV screening.
- Third-level prevention: For all patients with invasive cervical cancer, HPV positive and HPV-negative cervical cancer treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and palliative care are performed according to clinical stage.
Sexual health education and HPV vaccination are effective ways to prevent cervical cancer. Women who have not had sex will get the best prevention effect by getting the HPV vaccine. Women who have had sex can also get good protection by getting the HPV vaccine. Even women who have received the HPV vaccine can still get HPV screening regularly. Of course, men can also be infected with HPV, so men also need HPV screening. For HPV testing for men, you can read my previous article.
Can you get cervical cancer if you are negative for HPV?
Not necessarily, but cervical cancer cannot be completely ruled out. Although HPV (human papillomavirus) is the leading cause of cervical cancer, you may get cervical cancer even if you are not infected with the virus. Other factors such as smoking, a weak immune system, long-term use of contraceptive measures, and genetic susceptibility may also cause changes in cervical cells, eventually leading to cancer. If you have symptoms of cervical cancer, further testing, such as DNA and cytology, is required. If there are no symptoms of cervical cancer and HPV is negative, there is a high probability that there is no cervical cancer. If you have symptoms of cervical cancer and no HPV, then the chances of cervical cancer with negative HPV are 10%.
Why am I suddenly HPV-positive?
HPV (human papillomavirus) is a widespread virus transmitted through sexual contact. HPV infection may not cause any symptoms in the early stage. The virus lurks in the human body, waiting for the right conditions to replicate in large quantities and be detected.
A positive test result may also indicate that you have recently been infected with the virus, and direct sexual intercourse with HPV patients or sharing personal items, etc., may cause a new infection.
Even a positive test result does not necessarily mean that you will develop cervical cancer because the immune system can clear most types of HPV viruses within a few years. Most HPV infections do not cause serious health problems.
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