After you have learned that HPV infection may cause cervical cancer, you may wonder, does HPV infection necessarily lead to cervical cancer? I would like to introduce to you that there are more than one hundred subtypes of HPV virus and what is known is that 37 subtypes can be transmitted sexually and these 37 subtypes are classified as high risk and low risk. High-risk HPV infection may lead to the development of cervical cancer, but with one prerequisite – persistent infection! In other words, persistent high-risk HPV infection is a necessary prerequisite for the development of cervical cancer, and the risk of developing cervical cancer is only possible with HPV infection. Women with a history of sexual activity, especially young women who are sexually active, often see transient HPV infections, and there is no need to be nervous about this situation. This is because the body’s immune system is usually sufficient to clear it. According to statistics, more than 80% of women of childbearing age have had HPV infection, and most women (more than 90%) can clear the infection on their own. We can assume that cervical cancer is a rare outcome of a common infection. The main factors that contribute to the transformation of high-risk HPV infection in a bad direction are: 1. early sexual life (first sexual intercourse before the age of 16 or 18); 2. sexual disorders (multiple sexual partners, or sexual partners multiple sexual partners; 3. premature birth, multiple births and multiple abortions; 4. smoking; 5. certain viral infections.