The Importance of Cervical Cancer Screenings
All women are at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women over age 30. Regular screenings, along with the HPV vaccine, can help prevent cervical cancer. When found early, this cancer is highly treatable.
What is cervical cancer?
It’s a type of cancer that begins in cells on the surface of the cervix, the hollow cylinder that connects the uterus to the vagina. Cervical cancer used to be a leading cause of death among American women but has decreased due to screening tests.
Symptoms of cervical cancer
Cervical cancer may not have symptoms early on. In fact, many women don’t realize they have the disease until late stages. When symptoms appear, they can be mistaken for more common conditions like urinary tract infections or monthly menstrual cycle. Typical symptoms are:
- Unusual bleeding, such as between periods, after sex or after menopause
- Vaginal discharge that looks or smells different than usual
- Pain in the pelvis
- Needing to urinate more often
- Pain during urination
Where preventive care comes in
There are two tests that can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early.
1. A Pap smear looks for precancers, like cell changes that might become cancer if left untreated.
2. The HPV test looks for the human papillomavirus that can cause these kinds of cell changes.
HPV infection causes most cervical cancer cases. The infection is preventable with HPV vaccines. Additionally, regular screenings are one of the easiest ways to detect precancerous cells so they can be treated. The good news? Both tests can be done in a doctor’s office or clinic.
When to get screened
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends the following screening schedule for women by age:
Age 21-29
Start getting Pap tests at age 21. Get a Pap smear once every three years after that.
Age 30-65
Get a Pap smear once every three years, get a high-risk HPV (hrHPV) test every five years or get a Pap smear plus hrHPV test every five years.
The most important thing you can do to help prevent a cervical cancer diagnosis is to get vaccinated and get regular screenings. As a Service Benefit Plan member, everyone on your plan can access a wide range of preventive care services like these screenings—at no cost—when seeing a Preferred provider. Learn more about your preventive care benefits here.
Source:
https://www.healthline.com/health/cervical-cancer
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/index.htm