Cervical Health
January is cervical health awareness month.
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer means that cells in your cervix are growing abnormally and out of control. The cancer cells can spread to other parts of your body.
Cervical Cancer Screening Tests
You can treat early cervical cell changes (dysplasia), which can reduce your risk for cervical cancer. You can also reduce your risk for abnormal cell changes. Cervical cancer screening tests check the cells on the cervix for changes that could lead to cancer. Two tests can be used to screen for cervical cancer. They may be used alone or together.
- Pap test. A Pap test is done to look for changes in the cells of the cervix. Finding these changes and treating them when needed will greatly lower your chance of getting cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) test. This test looks for the HPV virus. Some high-risk types of HPV can cause cell changes that could lead to cervical cancer.
A high-risk type of the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of most cases of cervical cancer. In women older than 30, an HPV test may be done at the same time as a Pap test.
HPV
The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes warts, including genital warts, and may cause cervical cancer and changes in the cervix that can lead to cancer. Other types of HPV can cause oral cancer and some uncommon cancers, such as vaginal and anal cancer. HPV is spread by direct contact.
A human papillomavirus (HPV) test is done to check for a high-risk HPV infection in women. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). An HPV test checks for the genetic material (DNA) of the human papillomavirus. Like a Pap test, an HPV test is done on a sample of cells collected from the cervix. There are many types of HPV. Some types cause warts that you can see or feel. Other types don’t cause any symptoms. Most people don’t know they have an HPV infection.
This test is used to show whether a high-risk type of HPV is present. In women, high-risk types of HPV (such as types 16, 18, 31, and 45) cause changes in the cells of the cervix that can be seen as abnormal changes on a Pap test. Abnormal cervical cell changes may resolve on their own without treatment. But some untreated cervical cell changes can progress to serious abnormalities and may lead to cervical cancer over time if they are not treated.
Although HPV is found in both men and women, this test is not used on men. The HPV test is used to detect only high-risk types of HPV. Your doctor may diagnose genital warts that are seen during a physical exam. This test is not used to diagnose genital warts caused by low-risk types of HPV.
The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine protects against HPV. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are many types of HPV. Some types of the virus can cause genital warts. Other types can cause cervical or oral cancer and some uncommon cancers, such as anal and vaginal cancer.
The best time to get the vaccine is before a person becomes sexually active. This is because the vaccine works best before there is any chance of infection with HPV. When the vaccine is given at this time, it can prevent almost all infection by the types of HPV the vaccine guards against. If someone has already been infected with the virus, the vaccine does not provide protection against the virus.
The HPV vaccine can help prevent HPV infection. It can be given to males and females 9 to 26 years old. If you are age 27 to 45 and have not been vaccinated for HPV, ask your doctor if getting the vaccine is right for you.