By Joy Pierce Mathews for Summit Medical Group

When it comes to your cervical health, prevention and early detection are key. For this reason, Summit Medical Group joins the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and National Cervical Cancer Coalition in encouraging you to start the new year off right by getting a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine if you have not had one and having a pelvic examination with a Papanicolaou (Pap) test (or Pap smear).

HPV and Cervical Cancer Risk
HPV, the primary risk factor for cervical cancer, can be transmitted through heterosexual contact as well as sex between women. The good news is that the HPV vaccine protects against certain types of HPV and cervical cancer.

A recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that females aged 9 to 12 years be vaccinated with a series of 3 HPV vaccine doses. The ACIP also recommends that females age 13 to 26 years who have not completed the series or who have not been vaccinated do so. The ACIP emphasizes the importance of getting a vaccination before exposure to HPV through sexual contact.¹ Because the HPV vaccine only guards against some strains of HPV, however, even women who have had the vaccine should continue being screened for changes in the cervix.

Although HPV infection increases the risk of cervical cancer, most women who have or have had HPV will not get cervical cancer.

Cervical Screening
Since it was first used in the 1960s, the Pap test has significantly lowered death rates from cervical cancer in the United States.² Pap tests identify changes in the cervix, including noncancerous conditions such as infections and inflammation as well as the presence of cancer or abnormal cells that may lead to cancer.³ Many cancers of the cervix can be prevented or successfully treated if they are detected early. For this reason, Pap tests and pelvic examinations should be included in your routine health care.

Although the majority of cervical cancer occurs in women age 30 years or more, the risk of developing the disease continues throughout a lifetime. Ask your Summit Medical Group gynecologist when and how often you should be screened for cervical cancer. He or she will review your medical history and determine a screening schedule that is right for you.
 

References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP Provisional Recommendations for HPV Vaccine. December 1, 2009.
     http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/provisional/downloads/hpv-vac-dec2009-508.pdf. Accessed January 5, 2010.
2. American Cancer Society. Detailed Guide: Cervical Cancer. What are the key statistics about cervical cancer?  
    http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/cri_2x.asp. Accessed January 5, 2010.
3. National Cancer Institute. US National Institutes of Health. Pap test fact sheet.
    www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/Pap-test. Accessed January 5, 2010.