Cervical cancer screening used to all be so simple—women were told just go for your annual Pap. But now we have new tests to screen for cervical cancer, plus updated guidelines that—for most women—mean routine screening is done every few years rather than annually.
The changes are confusing not only to women but their health care providers, too. So to sort all this out, in this episode of our Sex+Health podcast we’re talking with Dr. Warner Huh, Division Director and Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. He co-authored the current guidelines on cervical cancer screening and management of abnormal tests published jointly by the American Society for Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology, the American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, and the American Cancer Society.
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The FDA just approved the Teal Wand, a self-collection device for HPV testing that does not require a speculum exam or even a trip to the doctor’s office. People can collect their own sample at home and send it to a lab for analysis.
The results of large-scale study of HPV suggest that one shot of the vaccine may be enough to protect young people from HPV and related issues like cervical cancer.
There are over 100 different types of human papillomavirus, or HPV. Some types of HPV can cause genital warts and other types can cause cancer, including cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis or anus, as well as cancer in the back of the throat.
The pandemic interrupted our regularly scheduled doctor’s visits and pushed off preventative care like Pap tests.
A new study has found a dramatic drop in the rates of cervical pre-cancers among young adult women. This is great news and further proof that the HPV vaccine is working.
In the U.S., HPV infections are estimated to cause about 37,300 cases of cancer. The HPV vaccine can prevent over 90% of these cancers from ever developing.
There’s a new way to screen for cervical cancer. With self-collection, you can take a sample of cells from your vagina. You still have to go to your provider’s office, but there’s no pelvic exam, stirrups, or speculum involved.
The FDA recently approved HPV testing using self-collected samples. Experts hope allowing people to collect their own samples will increase screening rates.
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
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