Table 1

Information provided to women

Cause only information (control)* What affects my chances of getting cervical cancer?
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV infections. HPV can be passed on through any type of sexual activity with a man or women.
Women and men who have had more sexual partners are more likely to get HPV infections. However, HPV is so common that most people will have the virus at some point in their life.
HPV is found on the skin around the whole genital area and can spread through any type of sexual activity. This means that condoms do not protect you from getting an HPV infection.
Cause with basic timeline information Same information as the control information, followed by: HPV can take a long time to develop into cancer (10–30 years).
Cause with explicit timeline information Same information as the control information, followed by:
Women aged 50–64 years should be aware that HPV can take a long time to develop into cancer (10–30 years). This means that even if you have not been sexually active for a long time or have only had one partner for a long time, you could still be at risk of cervical cancer.

  • *This information is from the NHS cervical screening programme ‘Helping you decide’ leaflet.

  • HPV, human papillomavirus; NHS, National Health Service.