Dealing with your health can be challenging — after all, no crystal ball can tell you what’s on the horizon. Well, cervical cancer has a version of a crystal ball in the form of cervical cancer screening.
To give you an idea about how successful these screening efforts have been in the United States, rates of cervical cancer have dropped by more than half since the mid-1970s, thanks to simple screening tools like the Pap and human papillomavirus (HPV) tests. Today, slightly more than 13,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.
Since January is cervical cancer awareness month in the US, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley want to reiterate the importance of routine Pap smears and HPV tests, which we perform as part of our regular well-woman exams.
And the best part? These tests are quick and easy. Let’s take a look.
While our title refers to the Pap test alone, in reality there are two types of tests that we use — Pap and HPV — and this is because HPV infections are responsible for up to 99% of cervical cancers.
HPV infections are incredibly common and occur in most people, though thanks to the HPV vaccine, numbers are going down. There are also 200 different types of HPV, but two types — HPV 16 and HPV 18, are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers.
The HPV virus prefers mucosal environments and one of those exists in your cervix, which is the entrance area to your uterus, located at the top of your vagina. Your cervix contains cells that produce mucus, so HPV tends to invade the cells in this area.
In a vast majority of cases, your body’s immune system handles HPV infections quite well. If, however, your body doesn’t clear the infection properly or you’ve been infected by high-risk strains of HPV, cell changes can occur around your cervix that could lead to cancer.
The difference between Pap and HPV testing is relatively simple. With the Pap test, we check for the presence of abnormal cells in your cervix. With the HPV test, we check for high-risk strains of HPV in your cervix.
So, combining this testing is a great way to stay one step ahead of cervical cancer
The way we perform an HPV or Pap test is the same — we collect cell samples directly from your cervix.
To do this, we get you situated on the exam table, and then we insert a speculum into your vagina. This simple tool allows us to gain access to the surface of your cervix, where we perform a quick swap to collect cells.
While the speculum might be momentarily uncomfortable, these tests aren’t painful, and they’re over in minutes.
Once we have a sample of your cervical cells, we will perform the necessary testing.
As for how often you should be screened for cervical cancer, the answer depends on your risks, your family history, and previous test results.
Standard testing guidelines include screening every 3 years with a Pap test between the ages of 21 and 29.
For women between the ages of 30 and 65, there are three options:
Again, there are many variables that can affect these guidelines, so it’s best to sit down with us to determine the best schedule.
If you have more questions about screening for cervical cancer through Pap and HPV tests, or you’d like to go ahead and schedule your screening today, you can start by contacting one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas, to schedule an appointment.
