Hello Malcom,

Thank you for getting in touch. I’m sorry to hear about everything she has been through, including needing a hysterectomy.

Cervical cell changes and cervical cancer are mainly caused by a very common virus called HPV (human papillomavirus), which is passed on through normal sexual contact. Anyone sexually active can come into contact with HPV at some point in their life.

It’s important to say that this is not about hygiene or anything you did or didn’t do. HPV is a very common virus, and most people will have it at some stage without ever knowing. There is no way to tell when or from whom it was passed on, and in most cases, the body clears it naturally.

Some studies have shown that circumcision can slightly reduce the chance of men carrying HPV, but it does not prevent it completely. Circumcised men can still have and pass on HPV, so being uncircumcised does not mean you caused these cell changes.

Our understanding of HPV has changed a lot over time. Years ago, we did not know as much about the link between HPV and cervical cell changes as we do now. Today, programmes like cervical screening and the HPV vaccination (offered to young people) help reduce the risk.

The most important thing is that your wife attended her cervical screening. This meant the abnormal cells were found early and treated, which is exactly the aim of the cervical screening programme, to prevent cervical cancer from developing.

There is no blame here at all. These situations are very common, and it sounds like your wife received the right care at the right time.

I hope this helps to reassure you, but please do feel free to get back in touch if you’d like to talk things through further. You’re also very welcome to call one of our nurses on the free helpline on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Jemma