What besides sex can cause cervical cancer?

I got a bad pap back and they told me that I might have precancerous cells. I've never had any stds and still dont but all I keep reading is that cervical cancer is caused by sexually transmitted viruses. Can it still be caused without having a std?

Cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). However, there are many many types of HPV, some which cause cervical cancer, and some that don't. Some we can test for, and some we can't.

HPV is considered an STD, because there really is no other way to get it; HPV is transmitted from person to person via sexual activity. This HPV also interacts with certain factors - like your genetic predisposition, before cancer actually happens. Our immune system has cancer-fighting cells, that actually work pretty well for the most part.

Cervical cancer is NOT caused by other STD's like chlamydia, syphilis, etc. However, if you have HIV/AIDS, it can "encourage" a current HPV infection to create cervical cancer as well.

There is ONE other known cause of cervical cancer unrelated to HPV, and that's a drug called DES (shortened form). If your mother took this, it can cause you to get cervical cancer.

If you've had one session of genital contact, that is, unfortunately, how you probably got HPV, followed by the cervical cell change noted on your PAP smear. However, your cervical cells, even if they change, can go back to normal as well - so you won't necessarily get cervical cancer from this.

might, is the operative word here. i have had similar pap results and i do not have cancer. you may have HPV, which is the most common STD in women. You can't get cancer from sex, but you can get STD's which can cause cancer if not treated properly. The doctor most likely told you this...or i hope they did. They also probably told you to come back in 6 months to a year for another pap to see what is going on.

Of course it can. It is just that HPV, the virus taht can lead to cervical cancer, is transferred sexually as well as other ways, it's like a regular virus.

Genetic for the most part. Some stugy suggest that have a STD raises the risk. Some think it is cause from a virus, which has nothing to do with a STD, but sex does play a role. The virus, the partner may never know he/she has it. Doesn't cause any systoms in men or women, just the Cervial cancer shows up - could be years later.

Sometimes you just have abnormal cells. I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago, and they tested me for HPV and the test came back negative. While HPV is the prevailing cause of cervical center and abnormal cervical cells, there is a small percentage of occurrences that are unexplainable. Have your doctor do a cervical biopsy to make sure it isn't cancer. After my biopsy, they determined they weren't precancerous cells and my paps have been within normal range for the past 2 years. Good luck!

genetics. the stinking draw of life.

Check the site below.

Go to webmd.com for more information.

The HPV virus is NOT the only way to get this type of cancer, at one point it was the LEAST known cause and now it's everywhere trying to educate people about it... but there are several causes.

Its caused by the HPV virus which is tranmitted sexually.

I had an abnormal pap, then was told I have HPV, which caused me to develop mild dysplasia (abnormal cells)... severe dysplasia can turn into cervical cancer.

Hope that makes sense