Thank you for your interest in my article.

As per my research, Cervical Cancer occurs primariliy due to HPV strains (16, 18, 31 & 45), which are contracted by a woman who has multiple sexual partners. Apart from this, there are other risk factors that make women more suseptible to the disease. The cells in the cervix often show changes, known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and this too begins with an HPV infection. Many women with CIN donot develop the disease, but in some cases, if left untreated can lead to cancer.

By-products of tobacco were found in the cervical mucous of women with cancer. It is therefore believed that smoking damages the DNA of cervical cells, causing them to mutate and turn cancerous.

Age of a woman when she has her first baby is also a factor as research says women who have thier first baby before the age of 15 are at a greater risk.

Women of all ages, pre-menopausal and post-menopausal, may develop cervical cancer. Therefore, it is important that women continue receiving annual Pap smears even after menopause. According to one study, researchers conclude that “sexually active elderly women may benefit from continued cervical cancer screening.”

More than 90% of cervical cancers are linked to the sexually transmitted infection HPV, so I have not really come across anything study which attaches risk of contracting the disease from other sources as such.

Hope this answers your queries.

Rgds

Snigdha