Did you know more than 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year. But the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month.
The purpose is to emphasize the importance of early detection and to spread the word throughout the 50 states. “(Cervical cancer) is a very curable thing if we catch it,” said Jenna Kintner, a Nurse Practitioner who visits Lawrence County Memorial Hospital each Tuesday, and specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. “That’s why getting your yearly exams and pap smears are so important.”
Vaccines can help prevent infection from the high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) types that can lead to cervical cancer. The Center for Disease Controls recommends that all youngsters get the vaccine by age 12, as it produces a stronger immune response when taken in preteen years.
A pap test can find cell changes to the cervix caused by HPV. HPV tests find the virus and help healthcare providers know which women are at the highest risk for cervical cancer.
