What is Cervical Cytology?

• Cervical cytology looks for any abnormal cells in your cervix.

What is HPV (humanpapilloma virus) testing?

• HPV is a virus known to cause cervical cancer.  HPV testing looks to see if the HPV virus is present in your cervix.

Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines (PAP test)

• Women ages 21 to 29 should be screened for cervical cancer every 3 years with cervical cytology.

• Women ages 30 to 65 should be screened every 5 years when they are tested for the humanpapilloma virus and also receive cervical cytology.

Can I Prevent Cervical Cancer?

• The HPV vaccine protects you against many different types of HPV viruses.  The HPV vaccine is recommended for men and women ages 11 to 26.  Some people ages 27 to 45 may benifit from vaccination depending on their risk factors.

Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer

• Having multiple sexual partners

• Becoming sexually active at a young age

• History of a sexually transmitted infection

• Infection with HIV

• Cigarette smoking

• Genetics

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

Most women are asymptomatic meaning they have no symptoms or warning signs; this is why screening is so important.  Women who do have symptoms may have irregular or heavy vaginal bleeding or bleeding after intercourse.