Cervical cancer is cancer in the cervix. The cervix is a body part that connects the uterus (womb) to the vagina (genital opening). cervical cancer is almost always caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 types of HPV. HPV is a common virus that will often go away on is own without doing any harm, but some types of HPV can cause cell changes that may turn into cervical cancer over time if they are not treated. Cervical screening checks for types of HPV that can sometimes cause cervical cancer, so getting regular cervical screenings can help you avoid getting cervical cancer.
You have a choice about how to be screened. you have 2 cervical screening options :
- Health care provider-collected : A doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife collects a sample from your cervix. if the sample shows you have HPV, the same sample will be checked for cell changes in the cervix.
- Self-collected : You use a small swab to collect a sample from your vagina. If your sample shows have HPV, your health care provider will contact you to schedule a health care provider-collected cervical screening to check for HPV on your cervix.
Research shows that both options are safe and accurate, even though self-collected results can sometimes show an HPV infection when you do not have one. There is also less research on self-collected cervical screening.
