Can a Woman Spread Cervical Cancer to a Man?

Early cervical cancer usually does not have any symptoms and symptoms often do not start until the cancer grows and spread into nearby tissue. When symptoms of cervical cancer occur, they may include: 

• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Bleeding and spotting between periods
  • Menstrual periods that are longer or heavier than usual
  • Bleeding after vaginal sex
  • Bleeding after menopause
  • Bleeding after douching 
• Unusual vaginal discharge 
  • May contain blood 
  • May occur between periods or after menopause
• Pain during sex
• Pain in the pelvic region

Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include:

• Leg swelling
• Problems urinating or having a bowel movement
• Blood in the urine

The cause of cervical cancer is not always known though it may be due to genetic changes (mutations). 

Certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer. 

In addition to HPV infection, risk factors for developing cervical cancer include: 

• Sexual history
  • Becoming sexually active before 18 years old
  • Having many sexual partners
  • Having a partner who is considered high risk (someone with HPV infection or who has many sexual partners)
• Smoking
• A weakened immune system
• Chlamydia infection 
• Long-term use of oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
• Age younger than 20 years at first full-term pregnancy 
• Having multiple (3 or more) full-term pregnancies 
• Economic status
  • Low-income women may not have easy access to some health care services, including cervical cancer screening with Pap tests and HPV tests, which means they may not get screened or treated for cervical pre-cancers
• A diet low in fruits and vegetables 
• Diethylstilbestrol (DES) 
• A family history of cervical cancer 

Cervical cancer is diagnosed with regular screenings. 

• A Pap smear (Pap test) 
• The HPV test 

Treatments for cervical cancer may include one or more of the following:

• Surgery 
  • For pre-cancer: 
    • Ablation 
    • Excisional surgery (conization) 
  • For invasive cervical cancer:
    • Hysterectomy (simple or radical) 
    • Trachelectomy 
  • Lymph node removal
• Radiation therapy 
• Chemotherapy (“chemo”)
  • For cervical cancer that has come back or spread to other areas
• Chemoradiation, which is chemotherapy given along with radiation to help it work better
• Targeted therapy 
  • Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
• Immunotherapy 
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors