Over the past 30 years, the number of cervical cancer deaths in the U.S. has dropped by half to about 4,000 deaths a year. The main reason for the decrease is the Pap test, which screens for the disease.
Now cervical cancer prevention has entered a new era when the FDA approved a vaccine (Gardasil) against human papillomavirus (HPV). Scientists believe certain strains of this virus cause nearly all cervical cancers. Although the vaccine promises to save lives, it won't make Pap tests unnecessary, according to the Harvard Health Letter.
As for vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all 11- and 12-year-old American girls get the shots, although girls as young as nine could receive it if they're sexually active. For "catch-up," the CDC also recommends that girls and women ages 13 to 26 be vaccinated.
The series of three shots is given over a period of six months.
The vaccine works best before an individual has been exposed to HPV. Older girls and young women are included in the CDC recommendations because even if they've been exposed to HPV, it may not be to the strains contained in the vaccine. More studies are needed before recommendations can be made for women older than 26 and for males.
But the HPV vaccine doesn't protect against all strains of the virus, including those that might account for about 30 percent of cervical cancers. Having regular Pap tests still remains the best way to prevent those cancers.
For more information about cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and Pap tests, visit the CDC Website. |
