None of us want to think about cancer, but with preventative steps, we can avoid one form of it that can be deadly for women. Cervical cancer develops in the cervix, located at the lower end of the uterus. The virus that causes it is so widespread that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claim nearly all of us will get it at some stage if we are unvaccinated.
All women should do what they can to avoid the virus that causes cervical cancer. January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month, so there’s no better time to think about ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from the disease that about 11,500 women are diagnosed with and 4,000 die from each year according to the CDC.
The human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus which causes cervical cancer, is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. Many forms of HPV are harmless. If an infection develops from a non-risky form of HPV, it might go away on its own or lead to nondangerous symptoms, such as genital warts. It’s difficult, however, to even know whether we or our sexual partners have HPV since both risky and non-risky versions of it often produce no symptoms.
Vaccination for HPV starts early. Girls as young as nine can get it, and it’s recommended starting at age 11 or 12. Young women up to the age of 26 are advised to be vaccinated if they weren’t when they were younger. Vaccinations for women in the 27 to 45 age group are not typically recommended; they have likely already been exposed if unvaccinated but can consult with their doctor if they would like the vaccine.
Pap smears, which screen for cervical cancer, are now recommended every three years for women between 21 and 29 years of age. Another test, the HPV test, is recommended for women between the ages of 30 and 65. For women in the 30 to 65 age group, options are to get a pap smear every three years, the HPV test every five or both tests every five years.
Once women are older than 65, they can often stop screenings but should continue them if doctors advise they do based on their health or test results. For example, women who are HIV positive may be advised to continue screenings.
Be sure to ask your primary care provider if you haven’t done regular health care visits and fear it’s been a long time since your last screening. To schedule an appointment, Eskenazi Health patients can use their Eskenazi Health MyChart (mychart.eskenazihealth.edu/MyChart) or call Eskenazi Health Connections at 317-880-7666. Those who are not patients with Eskenazi Health can also call that number to find a new primary care provider.
While men are not at risk for cervical cancer, HPV causes other forms of cancer that men can develop, including cancer of the penis, anus, mouth and throat. Men also can spread the cervical-cancer-producing form of HPV to female partners through oral, vaginal and anal sex. Therefore, the HPV vaccine is recommended for boys starting at age eleven or twelve as well as for girls.
You can go to a pharmacy for an HPV vaccine without an appointment. Find the closest Eskenazi Health pharmacy by going to eskenazihealth.edu/health-services/pharmacy.
Please note that the Vaccines for Children program, which offers free vaccines for kids of the parents and guardians who qualify, does not cover vaccines from pharmacies. Children in that program need to get their vaccinations at their primary care provider’s office. If you want to learn more about the program, you can find details at cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children.
Stay safe this January by protecting yourself from a cancer that can often be avoided with a little bit of preparation.
Nydia Nunez-Estrada, M.D., family medicine specialist with Eskenazi Health Center Grande