Each year, 500,000 women worldwide get cervical cancer. Half of them die from it. In the US, nearly 11,000 women get invasive cervical cancer and 4,000 women die from it—yet cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and curable forms of cancer.

Several factors influence your cervical cancer risk, including: human papillomavirus infection; starting sexual activity at a young age; history of many sexual partners (or a partner with many sexual partners); multiple full-term pregnancies; lack of routine Pap smear screenings; history of sexually transmitted infections; and smoking. But, cervical cancer can be prevented by reducing these risk factors, getting a Pap smear regularly and vaccinating against HPV.

For the last 30 years, the Pap smear has been the best weapon in the fight against cervical cancer. Cervical cancer typically starts with precancerous lesions (abnormal cells that could become cancer if not treated, but that are not yet cancer). It could take 10-20 years for a precancerous lesion to become cancer. Pre-cancers and cervical cancer in its early stages typically don’t cause symptoms. Pap smears give doctors the chance to diagnose precancerous lesions before they become cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, up to 80% of cervical cancer deaths could have been prevented through routine Pap smears.

The advancement in cervical cancer prevention is the HPV vaccine. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus. Some HPVs don’t cause any problems, some cause genital warts, and the most dangerous potentially cause cancer. The FDA-approved vaccine, Gardasil, vaccinates against four HPV types, including the two most associated with cervical cancer. The vaccine is most effective when given before potential exposure to HPV through sexual activity has occurred and is approved for females ages 9-26.

Cervical cancer can be prevented, detected, treated, and survived.Join in the fight against cervical cancer—talk to your friends and family today.

Or visit:
www.cancer.org
www.cancer.gov
www.cdc.gov
www.who.org
www.nccc-online.org

-Rebecca Martin, MPH
Planned Parenthood of
Wisconsin, Inc.

For more info, contact her at:
rebecca.martin@ppwi.org