What is cervical cancer?

*Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, thanks in large part to screening and HPV vaccination. But what exactly is cervical cancer?

The cervix is the part of the sexual and reproductive anatomy that joins the vagina to the uterus. If you have monthly bleeding, the lining of the uterus is shed through the cervix. The cervix also widens during childbirth for a baby to be born.

Cervical cancer starts in the cells of the cervix. Before cervical cancer develops, the cells of the cervix start to change and become abnormal. These abnormal cells are precancerous, which means that they are not cancer — but that they can develop into cancer cells. Precancerous changes to the cervix are called dysplasia of the cervix (or cervical dysplasia). Dysplasia of the cervix is a very common condition. Most cases of dysplasia, though, resolve on their own and do not develop into cancer.

The good news is that cervical screening can detect cell changes early, before they develop into cancer. With regular screening, early detection and treatment, we can stop cancer before it starts or detect it early when it can be treated most successfully.

*A note on terminology: On this website, we refer to some body parts, including the cervix, vagina and uterus, in order to discuss cervical cancer. We do recognize that many trans men and people on the trans masculine/ female-to-male (FtM) spectrum may feel ambivalent about or distanced from these terms or prefer other terms, such as “front hole.” We minimize our use of these terms wherever possible, while also acknowledging and attempting to normalize the reality that men can have these body parts too.