Women's Health
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is a very serious disease. Cervical cancer occurs when
normal cells in the cervix change into cancer cells. This normally takes
several years to happen, but it can also happen in a very short period of
time. The American Cancer Society predicts that there was about 9,710 new
cases of invasive cervical cancer in the US in 2006. About 3,700 women
will die from this disease in the same year.
The good news is that there are
ways to help prevent cervical cancer. By getting regular Pap tests and
pelvic exams, your health care provider can find and treat the changing
cells before they turn into cancer.
What you can do about cervical cancer:
In most cases, the disease is caused by infection
with certain strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).
Vaccines have been developed that can immunize young people against HPV.
This vaccine can only be used to prevent HPV infection -- before an
abnormal Pap test develops -- and not to treat an existing infection. For
more information, contact your healthcare provider.
While an HPV infection is needed to develop cervical cancer, other
factors increase a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer. A woman can
best protect herself from cervical cancer by:
- Getting regular Pap tests. Pap tests are recommended for all women
(starting within 3 years of when a woman begins sexual activity or at
age 21, whichever comes first).
- Consistently using condoms to prevent all sexually transmitted
diseases. However, condom use will
decrease, but not prevent, the risk of HPV infection because HPV can
infect cells anywhere on the skin in the genital area.
- Limiting the number of sexual partners and not having sex before age 18.
- Eating a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables.
- Not smoking cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes exposes the body to
cancer-causing chemicals absorbed initially by the lungs, but then
they are carried in the bloodstream throughout the body.
Need Help Getting Women’s Health Checkups?
If you are eligible, Medicaid will pay for Pap Tests through the Family
Planning Waiver. To see if you are eligible for the Family Planning
Waiver, you must apply through your County
or Tribal
social or human services department, or call the Recipient Services
Hotline at 1-800-362-3002.
The Wisconsin
Well Woman Program pays for breast and cervical cancer screening exams
for eligible women. The program is administered by the
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Public
Health, and is available throughout Wisconsin. To find out more about the
program, go to the Wisconsin Well Woman program
website.
For More Information
All external hyperlinks are
provided for your information and for the benefit of the general public.
The Department of Health Services does not testify to, sponsor, or endorse
the accuracy of the information provided on externally linked pages.
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Last Revised: October 03, 2008 |
