Annual Pap Smears Don’t Stop Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a growing epidemic in younger and sometimes in older women. It is a very serious cancer and can often be deadly. The real problem is that it is now entirely possible to detect it early or even prevent it from occurring at all. However, most women don’t take the time and precautions to educate and protect themselves against this disease.

Cervical cancer caused by a virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV. While not all kinds of HPV cause cervical cancer, all cervical cancer is caused by HPV. Also, even if you have a strain of HPV that does cause cancer, the HPV could go away on its own and never become serious.
HPV can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse or other membrane to membrane contact. Unlike most other STDs, condoms provide poor protection against HPV transmission. The types of HPV that cause cancer usually produce no visible symptoms and therefore go untreated and lead to cervical cancer or are spread to other sexual partners.

Currently, the most used defense against cervical cancer is called the pap smear. This is a procedure that is routinely performed during your yearly gynecological exam. The doctor uses a tool to take a sample of your cervix and send it to the lab for analysis.

The tissue is simply examined to determine whether the cells that were collected are normal or abnormal. If you have an abnormal pap smear, this usually indicates that you have HPV or cervical cancer. The doctor will ask you to have other tests run and come in more often for pelvic exams.

The biggest problem is with pap smears is that they aren’t always conclusive. Many women are told they have an abnormal pap smear, come back for several other tests, but are still given no diagnosis or treatment. The doctor basically maintains a “watch and wait” stance. This may allow HPV to turn into cervical cancer, making it much more serious.

While cervical cancer is a serious condition, it’s not the only danger to your reproductive health. When you go in to get your annual pelvic exam, you probably have noticed that the pap smear takes up very little time. This is because your doctor is also checking for other reproductive issues. While they may seem secondary to cancer, they can be just as dangerous or painful and are just as important to keep track of.

Pap smears are an effective way of detecting HPV and possibly preventing cervical cancer. But why would you want to prevent just the cervical cancer when you can prevent HPV altogether?
Recently, vaccines have come on the market that can prevent many types of HPV. If given at least 5 years before exposure, these vaccines are very effective at preventing you from ever getting HPV or cervical cancer. Just remember, you still need regular pap smear and pelvic exams to remain cancer-free.

It is important for you to take the proper precautions if you want to stay healthy and happy.