• HPV infections

• Lack of regular Pap tests

• HIV infection

• Weakened immune system

• Age – cervical cancer is more common in women over
the age of 40

• Sexual history – sex at a young age; sex with multiple
partners; sex with a man who has had multiple partners

• Smoking – cigarette smoke contains chemicals that damage the body’s cells

• Chlamydia infection and other sexually transmitted diseases

• Family history – cervical cancer may run in some families

• Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth

• Long-term use of birth control pills