You Make Time for Everyone Else. Now It’s Your Turn.
Schedule your cervical screening and put your health first.
When someone you care about needs something, you’re always there for them. Now, it’s time to be that person for yourself and schedule the screening that could actually save your life. Here are a few facts about cervical cancer screening – and why screening is so important:
- Cervical cancer may be preventable with regular screening tests and follow-up. It also is highly curable when found and treated early.
- Women of all ages are at risk. Although cervical cancer occurs most often in women over age 30, all women can get cervical cancer, and approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with it (and 4,000 women die from the disease) each year.
- Certain factors may increase your risk. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer and while many people will have an HPV infection at some point, because HPV usually goes away on its own, few will get cervical cancer. Other potential risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Having HIV or another condition that makes it hard for your body to fight off health problems
- Using birth control pills for a long time
- Having given birth to three or more children
How can you prevent cervical cancer? Get screened.
There are two tests that can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early:
- The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, or cell changes, on the cervix that can be treated, so that cervical cancer may be prevented. It can also identify cervical cancer early, when treatment is most effective. The Pap test is recommended for all women starting at age 21.
- The HPV test looks for HPV. Women aged 30 years and older, or anyone who has abnormal Pap test results, should have it.
Put your health first. Schedule your cervical screening today.
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