CERVICAL CANCER: A Disease That is Preventable
CERVICAL CANCER: A Disease That is Preventable
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. Genital HPV is a common, highly transmissible virus that is passed from one person to another through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Sexual intercourse is the primary route of transmission of genital HPV infection.
Regardless of age, lifestyle or socio-economic status, every woman is at risk of the cancer-causing HPV infection, which may lead to cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer can be prevented through screening and vaccination. Screening for HPV-induced changes in the cervix can be done by either using a Papanicolaou (Pap) test or HPV DNA test, or both. In low-resource settings, visual inspection with acetic acid is used to identify cervical lesions, which can be immediately treated by cryotherapy.
HPV vaccines are safe and effective. They are most efficacious in females who are naive to vaccine-related HPV types. It does not eliminate the need for screening later in life, since HPV types (other than 16 and 18) cause up to 30 percent of all cases of cervical cancer.
HPV vaccines have different characteristics, components, and indications. For more information about cervical cancer, consult your health care provider and your personal doctor, your partners in women’s health.
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