Risk factors
Any substance or condition that increases a person’s risk of developing cancer is referred to as a risk factor. The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is infection of the cervix with the human papilloma virus (HPV).
Human papilloma virus
What is HPV?
HPV, or the human papilloma virus, is a sexually transmitted virus that has more than 100 different strains. Most of these strains are harmless and go away on their own. Some can cause genital warts. And some strains of HPV — known as “high-risk” strains — can cause *cervical dysplasia that can lead to cervical cancer if left untreated.
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by high-risk strains of HPV. HPV can lie dormant and appear years after you have been exposed to it. Being exposed to a high-risk strain of HPV does not mean you will get cervical cancer. In order for cancer to develop, the high-risk strain must be persistent and not go away.
HPV infection can also cause other types of cancer, including many anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile and some oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers (cancers in the mouth and throat area).
HPV infection is very common. In fact, 7 out of 10 people will have HPV at some point in their lives and most will not even know it. Most people who are exposed to HPV do not develop cervical cancer.
How can I tell if I have HPV?
It’s difficult or impossible to know that you have HPV. The strains of HPV that cause cervical cell changes usually don’t have any symptoms. This means that most people don’t know that they’ve been infected or that they have passed on the virus.
The only way to tell for sure if you have HPV is to be tested for it. HPV testing, however, won't tell you what type or strain of HPV you may have, or about your risk of cervical cancer. Visit our FAQ for more information.
Cervical cancer screening, also known as a Pap test, can find potentially harmful abnormal cell changes before they become cancerous. The Pap test does not, however, check for HPV.
How is HPV transmitted?
HPV is sexually transmitted through genital skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the virus. Genital skin-to-skin contact includes oral sex, genital rubbing, sex with fingers and hands, sex with toys, penetrative sex or any other kind of sex where genital areas have contact.
Trans men who are or have ever been sexually active — with people of any gender or sex — are at risk for getting HPV, and therefore of getting cervical cancer. Anyone age 21 or older who has a cervix and who is or has ever been sexually active needs regular Pap tests.
Other risk factors
HPV is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer: it causes 99% of all cervical cancers. If you already have a high-risk strain of HPV, other risk factors can put you at increased risk for developing cervical cancer. These include:
- smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke: Cigarette smoke contains many cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) that affect many parts of the body. Researchers have found cigarette smoke by-products in the cervical cells of people who smoke. It’s believed that these byproducts may damage the cells and lead to cervical cancer. The risk of developing cervical cancer increases with the length of time you smoke and how many cigarettes you smoke each day.
- becoming sexually active at a young age: When you’re younger, your cervix is undergoing many changes and is more vulnerable to HPV infection.
- having multiple sexual partners: The more partners you have, the higher the chances that you’ll contract HPV. However, you can get HPV even if you’ve only had only one sexual partner.
- having a weakened immune system: If you have a weakened immune system — for example, due to a chronic infection such as HIV or AIDS, or from taking certain immunosuppressive medications — you’ll be more vulnerable to HPV.
- having used birth control pills for an extended period of time.
Make cervical screening part of your active, healthy and pleasurable sex life — whatever that means for you!
*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.