Cervical cancer symptoms you shouldn’t ignore: Pain after intercourse explained Pain after intercourse may seem normal, but it can be an early warning sign of cervical cancer. This persistent deep pelvic ache, sometimes accompanied by spotting, which we term as post coital bleeding, can be an early warning of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers; it is deplorable that despite very effective early detection tools, it is a leading cancer among women worldwide. Cervical cancer develops slowly over years, often without symptoms in early stages, making subtle signs like postcoital pain easy to ignore. Cervical cancer is preventable and beatable.