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Cervical Health Awareness Month
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and Clark County
Health Department wants you to know that there is a lot you can do to prevent
cervical cancer. Each year in the United States, 11,000 women get cervical
cancer. 33 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day. The cervix is
the lower part of a woman’s uterus. Without screening a woman might not know she
even has cervical cancer until it has spread.
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by the HPV or
Human Papillomavirus. HPV is a very common infection that is spread through
sexual activity. Both women and men can be infected by HPV, and since a HPV
infection is often without symptoms, can be passed on without a person’s
knowledge.
Some risk factors for developing cervical cancer are:
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Weakened immune system
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Cigarette smoking
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History of precancerous cervical lesions or a
previous cervical cancer diagnosis
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More than 1 sexual partner
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Sexual intercourse before age 18
Two of the best ways to prevent cervical cancer are the HPV
vaccine and regular Pap screening tests and follow-up care.
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The HPV vaccine is recommended by the Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) for preteens (both boys and girls) aged 11 to 12
years, but can be given as early as age 9 or as late as age 26 for women. The
vaccine protects against the most common strains of the HPV virus.
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The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for pre-cancers,
which are cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they
are not treated appropriately.
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The HPV test looks for the virus that can cause
these cell changes.
The Pap test is recommended for women between the ages of 21
and 65, and can be done in a doctor’s office, clinic, or the health department.
Women should start getting Pap tests regularly at age 21. Your doctor or nurse practitioner may also
recommend a HPV test, which can be done at the same time as your Pap test. If
your test results are normal, your chance of getting cervical cancer in the
next few years is very low. If your test results are abnormal, numerous
treatment options are available to remove the abnormal cells and prevent
cervical cancer from developing.
Clark County Health Department participates in the Kentucky
Women’s Cancer Screening Program to provide low cost breast and cervical cancer
screenings to women meeting the following requirements:
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21 to 64 years of age
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Household income at or below 250% of the current
annual federal poverty guideline
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Uninsured and has no third party payer source (
no Medicare, no Medicaid, and no private health insurance)
If a woman is screened and found to have pre-cancer or
cancer of the breast or cervix, she may be eligible for treatment through the
Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program.
Clark County Health Department also provides HPV vaccine for
un-insured or under-insured children and children with Medicaid up through age
19. Low cost HPV vaccine may also be available for men 19-21 years of age and
women 19-26 years of age. For more information or to schedule an appointment
for vaccines or a cancer screening, please call us at 859-744-4482. You can
also like us on Facebook.
Article Submitted by: Jennifer Burchett, RN, BSN
Information taken from: http://healthfinder.gov,www.cdc.gov, www.ncbi.nln.nil.gov
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