Cervical Health Awareness Month

Jan. 2, 2020, 4:57 p.m.

Health News

The US Congress designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. The most important thing about Cervical Cancer and HPV? In almost all cases the disease is preventable with vaccination and screenings.
Your local primary care physician at Burke Primary Care can provide vaccines or screenings as needed.

Cervical Cancer & HPV Facts

● Though nearly 13,000 women in the US are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, cervical cancer is highly curable when found and treated early. Call Burke Primary Care today for your screening test that can help prevent cervical cancer.

● Almost all Cervical Cancers are caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which is passed from one person to another during sex. Some HPV types cause changes on a woman’s cervix that lead to cervical cancer or genital/skin warts. HPV vaccines help prevent infections that can lead to cervical cancer

● HPV vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26 years, if not vaccinated already. If your teen hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet, talk to your Burke Primary Care doctor about getting it as soon as possible.

https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html

Testing for HPV

At Burke Primary Care, HPV testing will find the virus that tells providers which women are at risk. Additionally, Pap test can find cell changes caused by HPV. Abnormal cells can be treated before they turn into cancer. It is recommended to start getting pap tests at age 21 (afterward, every 3 years). If your test results are normal, you can wait three years to be tested again.

If you or a loved one is overdue for a pap test or HPV test, call and schedule a testing appointment with us today and get it taken care of. For more information on HPV or pap test, visit the CDC's website.