I promised this uplifting story last month and elected to put it in today as it is SUCH an important health issue for young women and men. Cervical dysplasia is a change in the cells lining the cervix which untreated can lead to cervical cancer.  

 

Risk Factors include:
Sexual Intercourse before age 20: With age, the squamo-columnar junction moves further up into the
endo-cervical canal. However, in younger women it may be more exposed, thus increasing the risk of
infecting those cells during sexual activity.
An increased number of sexual partners or having partners who themselves have had many sexual
partners. This is simply due to the logic that the more sexual partners one has, the more likely it is
that one will have a partner who is carrying an STD.
Socioeconomic status: Low income and socioeconomic status is a risk factor for cervical cancer.
Incomplete Pap testing is most common among African, Native Indian and Inuit, Hispanic, the poor,
elderly, women infected with HIV and people living in rural areas.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): otherwise known as viral warts, is one of the strongest links between
cervical dysplasia and its evolution into cancer. The viral wart implicated in cervical dysplasia is
genital warts. Genital warts are benign non-cancerous tumors, transmitted through skin-to-skin contact
and encouraged by tissue trauma and moisture.
Women who have HPV, or whose partners have had HPV, are at a higher risk of developing abnormal
cells, although not everyone who has HPV goes on to develop cervical cancer. Cancer related HPV
might increase the likelihood that mild abnormalities may progress to more severe conditions.
When hearing about HPV it's common to assume that this STD is a virus that ‘someone else' contracts.
However, it is alarming to note the frequency with which this infection occurs. HPV is the most
commonly occurring STD. 
1% of all sexually active Americans have visible warts, and the virus can live in the body for months,
years or even a lifetime without giving rise to observable symptoms. throughout the world. The Albert Einstein College estimates that HPV is found in 90 to 95% of cervical dysplasia cases.

HPV lesions and DNA testing can be a tool for determining the route of holistic support. Viral infection can damage DNA and other parts of the cell. It is thought that HPV produces proteins that interfere with cell
functions that normally prevent excessive cell growth.

Medical treatment focuses on the removal of any raised growth, while nothing is offered to strengthen
the body's reserves to deter a viral outbreak. An important fact to note: since genital warts are viral, a
holistic treatment protocol which includes strengthening the immune system does wonders for
diminishing the infection and encouraging visible warts to disappear on their own (though the virus may
still remain dormant in the body).
Abnormal Pap's are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as Human Papilloma Infections. To complicate the
situation, atypical cells from HPV can mimic abnormal cells, precancerous conditions and even invasive
cancer. Therefore it is crucial that any possible infections are correctly diagnosed and cleared up,
before repeating a PAP test and scheduling surgery.
Herpes Simplex 2 Virus (Genital Herpes) and Chlamydia exposures are both linked with a 2-6 times
increased risk of cervical cancer than when compared to the general population22. It is thought that
chlamydia interferes with one of the body's natural safety mechanisms that work to destroy unhealthy
cells.
Cigarette smoking: Statistics show that women with cervical cancer are most likely to be current
smokers. The risk appears to increase with the daily number of cigarettes a woman smokes and with
every year she has smoked23. A 1982 study from the American Journal of Epidemiology theorizes over
the impact cigarette smoke has on the health of the cervix “since the products of tobacco smoke are
circulated in breast fluids of non-lactating woman fifteen minutes after smoking a cigarette, it is
possible that a carcinogen can be inhaled from cigarette smoke, transported through the blood system
and secreted by the cervical surface cells where it may act as a promoter or co-carcinogen on the
cervical cells.24” Cigarette smoking has also been found to deplete the body of cancer-fighting
nutrients, including Vitamin C25, E and beta-carotene.
Diethylstilbestrol (DES): A toxic synthetic estrogen drug used during the 1940's through 1970's,
mistakenly used to prevent miscarriages, resulted in numerous birth defects, DES increased the
Katolen Yardley, MNIMH Published in the British Journal of Phytotherapy, Vol. 5 No. 4 Copyright © 2001
ISSN 0959-6879
incidence of cervical changes in women whose mothers were given the drug26. Incidentally, for the last
20 years DES has been commonly prescribed as a morning after pill27.
Oral Contraception: The epithelium or squamo/columnar cells of the cervix respond to hormonal
changes and long term use of birth control pills are associated with cancer of the cervix28. Studies
indicate a strong correlation between the pill and cervical dysplasia, one reference theorizes that “one
in every five pill users develops a suspicious pap after 3-4 years29”. Birth control pills have been found
to decrease nutrient levels of Vitamin C, folic acid, Vitamin B6, B12, riboflavin and zinc30.
Additional studies report that abnormal cervical cells found in Pap tests of oral contraceptive users
mirror those abnormal changes found in women with a folate deficiency. Therefore one could speculate
that at least some abnormal PAP's could be really showing a folate deficiency.
According to Health Canada, June 1995, close to 70 million women take oral contraceptives, making
birth control pills one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. By using oral contraceptives, is a
woman unknowingly setting herself up for abnormal PAP's, results that could really be indicating a
nutritional deficiency caused by using the oral contraceptive?
Intra Uterine Devices used for birth control can also be a concern. The IUD string that penetrates the
cervical opening can lead to an inflammation that mimics abnormal cancer cells. After an IUD has been
removed it is best to wait up to 3 months before retaking a PAP test.
Depo Provera: one of the latest forms of birth control, an injectable contraceptive that suppresses
ovulation and renders women infertile for 3-6 months, has been linked to the rise in cervical cancer in
third world countries by studies conducted by the World Health Organization32.
Tampons and Synthetic Estrogens are two not so known risk factors. Tampons contain carcinogens
such as talc fibers, bleach and asbestos, thus it is best to discontinue use and switch to non-bleached
tampons or non-synthetic cotton pads. Lowering contact with synthetic estrogens found in the
environment (otherwise known as xenoestrogens) is recommended, as estrogens are directly associated
with gynecological cancers and abnormal cell growth. Some considerations include pesticide residue,
agricultural chemicals, plastics (soft worse than hard), paint and saran wrap, birth control pills (as
already mentioned), meats and dairy (due to injected hormones) and alcohol, particularly beer (a yeast
used in the fermentation process, saccharomyces, produces estrogen which can have an effect upon
vulnerable tissues33).
Immune System Health goes a long way toward suppressing viruses and abnormal growths. An immune
system weakened by medications, infection, excessive stress, trauma, or surgery, may be unable to
prevent abnormal conditions from surfacing. Thus individuals with a poor diet, those dealing with long
term viruses, persons undergoing prolonged treatment with steroids and individuals receiving
medication to suppress the immune system, are more likely to develop cancerous lesions. According to
the book “A Feminist Approach to PAP Tests”, other drugs that may influence the immune system and
create abnormal pap results include: digitalis, antihistamines, tetracycline, valium, aspirin, allergy
shots and thyroid medication34.