Each year, approximately 12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer, even though it is one of the most preventable of cancers. January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month, a time for raised awareness about cervical health and how best to prevent disease.

The cervix is a cylindrical shaped opening to the uterus, connecting the upper vagina to the uterus,” explains Dr. Pearl Lim, a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital and ColumbiaDoctors in Scarsdale, NY, the faculty practice of Columbia University Medical Center. “Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow uncontrollably.”

Most cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted by sexual contact with people who have it. “While there are many types of HPV, not all types cause cervical cancer,” says Dr. Lim. But there are other factors, including a woman’s environment and lifestyle choices, that can play a role in the development of HPV and/or cervical cancer, including having multiple sexual partners (particularly with unprotected sex), early sexual activity, smoking, a compromised immune system and the use of estrogen containing medications.

While in its early stages, cervical cancer has no symptoms, in more advanced stages symptoms can include abnormal vaginal bleeding or bleeding after sex, pelvic or low back pain, bowel or urinary bleeding, and vaginal discharge.