Tips to Prevent Cervical Cancer

By Kare Lyche, MD, Family Physician, Health Partnership Clinic

Cervical cancer is cancer of the mouth of the uterus. It is thought to be caused by human papillomavirus or HPV which is a sexually transmitted disease.

There are several things that you can do to prevent cervical cancer, the most important by far is to have a pap smear. Pap smears are given to woman ages 21-65. The frequency of your pap smear depends on the type of pap smear and your age. The second most important thing you can do is to get the HPV vaccine. It is offered to all children between the ages of 11 and 12. If you miss that window, it is available to all women with a uterus up to age 45.

To learn more about cervical cancer and how to prevent it, watch our video:

Cervical Health Awareness: Tips to Prevent Cervical Cancer