Cervical cancer develops in the cervix, the lower part of a woman’s uterus that opens into the vagina. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be traced back to infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In most instances, HPV doesn’t show any symptoms or cause any long-term health problems, and the body rids itself of the virus naturally. However, some strains of HPV can lead to genital warts while other strains cause cells on the surface of the cervix to mutate in ways that make them divide uncontrollably, causing cancer.