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Public Health Agency of Canada
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/cancer/cervical_cancer-cancer_du_col_uterus-eng.php
The Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada
www.g-o-c.org
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
www.sogc.org
The Society of Canadian Colposcopists
www.sogc.org/scc/english/index.asp
The Federation of Medical Women of Canada
www.fmwc.ca
Second only to breast cancer,
cervical cancer most commonly
occurs in women aged 20-44.2
Every six |
|
| hours another | |
| Canadian woman | |
| is diagnosed with | |
| cervical cancer.3 |
 |
Friend Your Cervix on Facebook to join the movement, share your story and help raise awareness about the risks of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer affects more women than you may realize.
Every six hours another Canadian woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer – in fact, one young woman loses her battle every day.3
Cervical cancer is unlike most cancers.
Unlike other cancers, you don't inherit the genes that cause cervical cancer.1,4 Almost all cervical cancers are caused by a certain type of virus – human papillomavirus or HPV. The good news is that by taking precautions to avoid the virus, you can reduce the risk of getting cervical cancer!1,4
Up to 4 out of 5 females will be infected with HPV during their lifetime.1
HPV is common to both guys and girls. It's spread by skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity.1 But that's not all you need to know.
There are two types of HPV:
Low-risk types (don't cause cervical cancer) and high-risk types (can cause cervical cancer).5
You could be infected and not know it.
In most cases, HPV doesn't show any symptoms and goes away on its own. But if you're infected with a high-risk type, it can lead to cervical cancer.1
You can get it more than once.
Even if you have been exposed to HPV, your body may not develop any long-term protection against it.1 So, even if you've had HPV before – you can still get it again.
Condoms may not be enough.
While condoms provide some protection, HPV can still be spread through contact with areas that are not covered.6 In other words, you can get HPV through oral or hand-genital contact – not just "sex".7
Regular Pap tests could save your life.
Pap tests, or smears, check for abnormal cells in the lining of your cervix before they have a chance to become cancerous.1 Continued and regular Pap tests are important because HPV can still be active years after an infection has occurred – so make sure you get your Pap test regularly.
