Cervical health is one of those topics that doesn’t get talked about enough, even though it’s super important. Most women hardly bring it up and it’s not because they don’t care about their health.

It’s just… awkward. Many of us feel shy discussing anything related to private parts, or we assume that if nothing hurts, everything’s fine. And busy lives don’t help. Between work, family, and other responsibilities women are often busy with, scheduling a check-up often takes a backseat.Another reason women don’t talk about it is fear, fear of what the doctor might find, fear of embarrassment, or even fear of procedures. The truth is, every woman should make cervical health a regular part of her life, even if everything seems normal. Waiting for symptoms is risky because by the time something shows up, the condition might already be advanced.What women must know is that checking your cervical health isn’t just about avoiding cancer. It also helps detect infections, inflammation, or other conditions that can affect fertility or cause long-term complications if left untreated.

It’s proactive care, like taking vitamins or exercising, but for a part of your body that rarely gets attention until there’s a problem."There is a common practice of waiting for a “red flag”, such as pain or an unusual symptom, before determining to schedule a doctor's visit. But when it comes to the cervix, sometimes no news really is bad news. This tiny but powerful part serves as the passageway between the uterus and the vagina, playing a crucial role in the background process of menstruation, fertility, and the miraculous process of pregnancy and childbirth.

Since its role is essentially so invisible, some cervical issues often develop without showing any warning symptoms," Dr. Tripti Raheja, Director - Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the CK Birla Hospital, Delhi told TOI Health.

"In the early stages of the disease, the presence of pre-cancerous lesions is almost always “silent.” In other words, there is little to no pain and little to no bleeding. A woman may not realize that anything is amiss until she begins to experience the typical symptoms of the disease, such as the development of pain within the pelvis and/or the presence of unusual discharge," she adds, highlighting the most critical benefit of remaining proactive. The doctor talks about the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV for short. "It is super prevalent and the number one cause of cervical cancer but at the same time can quietly reside within your body for years without any noticeable symptoms whatsoever," she explains and adds that infected women may pass on the HPV virus to partners without even realizing that such things are going on quietly within the cells.Dr Tripti sheds light on one of the important aspects of female health which is the reproductive system.