Cervical cancer often has no symptoms. If there are symptoms, these can include:
- vaginal bleeding between periods, during or after sexual intercourse, or after menopause
- pelvic pain
- pain during sexual intercourse
- a change to your usual vaginal discharge (e.g. there may be more discharge, or it may have a strong or unusual smell or colour).
While these symptoms can happen for other reasons, see your general practitioner (GP) if you are worried or the symptoms are ongoing.
This is important for anyone with a cervix – whether heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or someone with an intersex variation – even if you are up to date with cervical screening tests.
Learn more about how cancer and its treatment can affect LGBTQI+ people.
→ READ MORE: Screening for cervical cancer
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Dr Antonia Jones, Gynaecological Oncologist, Royal Women’s Hospital and Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, VIC; Angelyn Aligarbes, Consumer; A/Prof Emma Allanson, Gynaecological Oncologist and Head of Dept, Gynaecologic Oncology, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, WA; Gemma Busuttil, Radiation Therapist Specialist, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, NSW; Laura Carman, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council VIC; Danielle Carpenter, Gynaecology Nurse Consultant, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Pearly Khaw, Lead Radiation Oncologist – Gynae-Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Georgina Richter, Gynae-Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; A/Prof Megan Smith, Research Fellow, Cancer Elimination Collaboration, University of Sydney, NSW; Sophia Wooldridge, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Hunter New England Centre for Gynaecological Cancer, John Hunter Hospital, NSW; Melissa Whalen, Consumer.
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