Cervical Screening
Ideas about causes
There are several risk factors for developing abnormal cervical cells, which, if left untreated, will eventually develop into cancer.
Risk factors include Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), smoking, long-term use of the contraceptive pill, and family history.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Other risk factors
Ideas about and experiences with risk factors
Many of the women we interviewed were aware of some of the risk factors associated with abnormal cervical cells, but many found it difficult to accept them as causes in their case as they were not present in their own lifestyle.
She felt she was just unlucky to develop abnormal cervical cells.
She felt she was just unlucky to develop abnormal cervical cells.
No I am, well I suppose I have been aware that possibly smoking could be a contributing factor. Purely because when one goes for the test it's always one of the questions "Do you smoke?" "No," a bit smug. But no I haven't really, I just thought it was bad luck really if these things happen. You know assuming one is reasonably fit and healthy, tries to eat properly and doesn't smoke, I thought it would just be bad luck.
Several women were aware of HPV and said they found it difficult when they had learnt that their abnormal cervical cells could be associated with a virus like HPV which could have lain dormant for many years.
Describes her feelings about the connection between abnormal cervical cells and HPV.
Describes her feelings about the connection between abnormal cervical cells and HPV.
Yes it's an embarrassing thing again to think that you've caught it that way because people think of that, look down at that and think oh gosh you know that's been sexually transmitted you know you must be with all these people which is not the case. But obviously I'd had sex with a guy before my partner years and years ago and then when I eventually decided to go and have the pap smear which was years later it was there, so I presumed it was the partner that I was with and that it had been sitting there that long, it was just lucky that I went for the pap smear when I did.
Many stressed that if HPV was a cause for their abnormal cervical cells, they didn't know how they could have contracted it because they'd had very few sexual partners. A few did feel that their sexual history could have led to them being vulnerable to contracting HPV.
Whenever people are diagnosed with something they tend to have their own ideas about the causes. A few women thought that their abnormal cervical cells could be linked to their family history of cervical or gynaecological cancers.
Family history does show as a risk factor for developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) type cervical cancer, but research is still being done to confirm if this risk is linked to faulty genes or if it is due to exposure to HPV and shared environmental factors (Cancer Research UK, 12 September 2023).
Others thought that using certain types of contraception such as the pill may have been a factor in causing them to develop abnormal cervical cells.
The contraceptive pill is linked to a slightly increased risk of developing cervical cancer when it is taken for more than 5 years.
Some women were aware of the link between smoking and abnormal cervical cells, but many said they had never smoked. One woman explained that her abnormal cervical cells disappeared after she gave up smoking.
Her abnormal cells disappeared after she gave up smoking.
Her abnormal cells disappeared after she gave up smoking.
So she, yes so she had this camera and she had a look and I was fully expecting the worst and she said there's nothing there, it had completely gone away. And she showed me that my cervix was completely pink and there was no white patches, nothing and I was quite surprised that between that time and the last time I had a pap smear it had completely gone after it had been there for years and years and years. And she did say that it was possibly, you know she couldn't say for sure, possibly because I'd given up smoking like 4 months before and she said the virus can go away by itself but smoking inhibits it from going away and so I felt very virtuous and felt that you know there is a very good reason for me giving up smoking and not starting again and I felt quite pleased with myself. I mean I just couldn't believe it. I can't believe it's just gone away because I expected the worst really and it was, it was a big relief.
Copyright © 2024 University of Oxford. All rights reserved.