About Healthy Lifestyle

Why is leading a healthy lifestyle so important?

• Leading a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of catching HPV and developing cervical cancer.

What does ‘leading a healthy lifestyle’ really mean?

• Leading a healthy lifestyle to help reduce your risk of catching HPV and developing cervical cancer includes:
  • Keeping your immune system – your body’s natural defence system - strong
  • Eating healthily (lots of fruit and vegetables) and keeping fit
  • Not taking up smoking* (or give it up if you’ve already started)
  • Not drinking too much alcohol*
  • Avoiding having sex when you are young and with lots of different partners*
  • Making sure that you use protection if you have sex*
  • Going for cervical screening when invited
  • Avoiding having children before you are 17 and not having more than seven children²⁷
  * The legal age for buying cigarettes and alcohol is 18 years and the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years in the UK

Why is it important to keep my immune system strong?

• If your immune system is weak, your risk of cervical cancer may be higher than average. If your immune system is healthy it will normally protect you against infection and developing abnormal cells – killing them off before they turn into cancer.²⁷

How can eating healthily and keeping fit reduce my risk of developing cervical cancer?

• Eating healthily (lots of fruit and vegetables) and keeping fit will help to keep your immune system – your body’s natural defence system – strong. If your immune system is healthy it will normally protect you against infection and developing abnormal cells – killing them off before they turn into cancer.²⁷ If your immune system is weak, your risk of cervical cancer may be higher than average.

How can smoking put me at risk of developing cervical cancer?*

• Everybody knows that smoking can lead to lung cancer. It could also increase your risk of developing cervical cancer. Smoking stops your body’s immune system from working properly, leaving you more likely to get infections.²⁷ Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can tell you how you can get help to stop smoking.
  * The legal age for buying cigarettes and alcohol is 18 years and the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years in the UK

How can drinking too much alcohol put me at risk of developing cervical cancer?*

• Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing cervical cancer. It damages your body’s immune system, leaving you more likely to get infections. It is sensible to stay within the Government’s guidelines on drinking alcohol. As a general guide, women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol a day, e.g. a standard 175ml glass of wine is about 2 units.²⁸
  * The legal age for buying cigarettes and alcohol is 18 years and the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years in the UK

How can having sex when I am young increase my risk of cervical cancer?*

• The earlier you start having sex, the more likely you are to catch HPV that causes cervical cancer. The more partners your partner has had, the more at risk you are.²⁷ Remember too that you can catch HPV from just one sexual relationship.³
  * The legal age for buying cigarettes and alcohol is 18 years and the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years in the UK

How can having sex with lots of different partners increase my risk of cervical cancer?*

• The more partners you have sex with, the more likely you are to catch the virus, called HPV, that causes cervical cancer. The more partners your partner has had, the more at risk you are.²⁷ Remember too that you can catch HPV from just one sexual relationship.³
  * The legal age for buying cigarettes and alcohol is 18 years and the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years in the UK

Why is it important to use a condom when/if I have sex?*

• Using condoms is essential as they can help reduce the risk of infection with HPV and also protect you against many sexually transmitted diseases, as well as unplanned pregnancy. However, they don’t give 100% protection against HPV as it lives on the skin in and around the genital area and is passed on through skin-to-skin contact, not bodily fluids.^8-11
  * The legal age for buying cigarettes and alcohol is 18 years and the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years in the UK

Why is cervical screening particularly important if I am on the pill?

• Recent research shows that taking the contraceptive pill may increase the risk of cervical cancer. Amongst women who have taken the pill for at least 5 years, their risk of developing cervical cancer is doubled. This is still a small risk and the pill can protect you against womb and ovarian cancers.²⁷

How can the age I have my children and the number of children I have increase my risk of cervical cancer?

• Women who have their first baby early, before 17, double their risk of cervical cancer compared to those who have their first baby at 25 or older.²⁷ Having more than seven children can also increase your risk of cervical cancer.²⁷