Cervical Cancer: A Shot of Prevention

Regular Pap tests and the HPV vaccine -- do you really need both?

January is Cervical Cancer Health Awareness Month -- wouldn't now be a great time to make that appointment for a Pap test?

Oh, don't be that way! Think of a Pap test (also called a Pap smear) as freedom from worry. It's something you can do right now to keep your body free of cervical cancer. Who doesn't want that?

Preventing Cervical Cancer

The second most common cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide, cancer of the cervix (the lowest part of your uterus, at the top of the vagina) is preventable and curable -- if caught early.

And a Pap test -- where a few cells are collected from the cervix and then examined under a microscope -- is key to catching cervical cancers early. Since the 1950s the rates of death from cervical cancer has declined by 74%. The reason for the decline is mostly due to Pap tests.

The best time to start getting Pap smears is by the time you're 18 or first begin having sex. Once you've had three normal smears you may only need testing every three years after that. Talk to your doctor to know for sure.

Taking a Shot at Cervical Cancer

Some women can take the power of cervical cancer prevention even further, by getting immunized with the HPV vaccine.

HPVs (human papillomavirus), of which there are over 100 types, are the most common sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. The vaccine protects women against four HPV types that cause 70% of all cervical cancers.

The HPV vaccine is most effective before a person is infected with an HPV, which is why the vaccine has been recommended for girls as young as nine. It's also approved for women up to the age of 26, and tests are underway to see if it's effective for women over that age.

Already got immunized with the HPV vaccine? Great! Think you don't need a Pap test anymore? Wrong!

Remember, the vaccine protects against four HPV types, which leaves more than 96 HPV viruses -- some of which cause the remaining 30% of cervical cancers.

You know the solution: Get regular Pap tests. The test takes only a few minutes, and after a normal test you can forge ahead, secure in the knowledge that you have taken the power of prevention into your own hands.

SOURCES: CDC: "HPV Vaccine Questions and Answers." WebMD Medical Reference: "Pap Smear Test," "Understanding Cervical Cancer -- the Basics." National Cancer Institute: "Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines: Questions and Answers." American Academy of Family Physicians: "Pap Smears: What They Are and What the Results Mean," "Human Papillomavirus (HPV)."