January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
Anyone with a cervix can get cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the cervix. It mostly affects women under the age of 45.
Symptoms of cervical cancer include:
- vaginal bleeding that’s unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or having heavier periods than usual
- changes to your vaginal discharge
- pain during sex
- pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy
If you have another condition like fibroids or endometriosis, you may get symptoms like these regularly.
You might find you get used to them. But it’s important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse, or do not feel normal for you.
It’s important to get any symptoms of cervical cancer checked as soon as possible.