HPV Test

National Cancer Prevention Month: How Cervical Cancer Early Detection and Vaccination Saves Lives

February is National Cancer Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the preventable causes of cancer and encourage healthy lifestyle choices to reduce cancer risk. When it comes to cervical cancer, the disease can be almost entirely prevented through effective measures such as the HPV vaccination and regular screenings.

Ready for a “wow” moment? According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is approximately 92% when detected early, compared to just 17% in advanced stages. While the National Cancer Institute notes that prognosis statistics are based on large sample sizes and individual responses to treatment can vary, this stark difference – between early detection versus later – underscores the critical role of prevention in saving lives.

In honor of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month last month, the Prevent Cancer Foundation asked our founder, Tamika Felder, to create a video call to action to educate and empower others about cervical cancer. Check it out, then take a moment to learn about the best ways to prevent the disease.

4 Tips for Cervical Cancer Prevention

Here are some prevention tactics that can significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer:

1. HPV Vaccination

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a highly effective way to prevent cervical cancer, protecting against the HPV strains most commonly linked to the disease. Recent research search shows that cervical cancer deaths among young women up to age 25 have dropped significantly since the introduction of the HPV vaccine in the mid-2000s.

The recommended HPV vaccination schedule is as follows:

  • Ages 9–12: The vaccine can be started as early as age 9 and is routinely recommended at ages 11–12.
  • Ages 13–26: If not vaccinated earlier, individuals up to age 26 can receive the vaccine, with a catch-up schedule if needed.
  • Ages 27–45: The vaccine is FDA-approved for adults up to age 45. While the benefit is lower in this age group, those at risk can discuss vaccination with their healthcare provider.

For more information, check out our Partners in Purpose at the National HPV Roundtable. 

2. Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of cervical cancer. This includes:

  • Avoiding Tobacco: Smoking tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke can increase cancer risk.
  • Eating a Balanced Diet: Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber while ensuring adequate calcium intake. Limit processed meats and alcohol consumption.
  • Exercising Regularly: Staying active helps maintain a healthy weight, as obesity can contribute to cancer risk.

Even if you’re a cervical cancer survivor, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can support overall well-being and help reduce the risk of recurrence. Need motivation? Survivor Slimdown is an online space powered by Cervivor for all cancer survivors of all cancer types. By joining this community, you’ll get monthly fitness and diet challenges, daily motivation, accountability from others, and education from our Certified Wellness Instructor and Cervivor Ambassador, Patti Murillo-Casa.

3. Regular Screening

Regular screening is essential for early detection of cervical cancer. The Pap test and HPV test can help identify abnormal cell changes or HPV infections before they become cancerous. Now, there are even more options like an HPV Self-Collection test.

The current recommended screening guidelines by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are as follows:

  • Women aged 21 to 29 years: Screen for cervical cancer every 3 years with cytology alone.
  • Women aged 30 to 65 years: Screen for cervical cancer every 3 years with cytology alone, every 5 years with hrHPV testing alone, or every 5 years with cotesting.
  • Women younger than 21 years, women older than 65 years with adequate prior screening, and women who have had a hysterectomy: Do not screen for cervical cancer.

Disclaimer: The guidelines are currently being updated.

4. Diagnostic and Treatment Options

If abnormal cell changes or high-risk HPV infections are detected, there are several diagnostic and treatment options available including:

  • Colposcopy: A procedure that uses a special microscope to examine the cervix for abnormal cell changes.
  • Cryotherapy: A treatment that uses freezing temperatures to destroy abnormal cells.
  • LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure): A procedure that uses a special wire loop to remove abnormal cells.
  • Laser Therapy: A treatment that uses a laser to destroy abnormal cells.

By taking advantage of the prevention and early detection options outlined above, you can significantly reduce your risk of cervical cancer – not just during National Cancer Prevention Month, but all year long.

Join the Mission to Prevent Cervical Cancer

At the heart of cervical cancer prevention and awareness is Cervivor, a global community dedicated to educating and empowering those affected by cervical cancer. But we don’t stop there! Our community includes patients, survivors, loved ones, care teams, policymakers, and more – working together to drive meaningful change in their own backyards and beyond.

LeLisa Arrington educates passersby about cervical cancer prevention.
Dulcely Tavarez discusses cervical cancer prevention with two women at a community event.

One of Cervivor’s key prevention initiatives, #Screen4Me, encourages individuals to prioritize cervical cancer screening and follow-up care, emphasizing that early detection saves lives. The concept behind it? If someone isn’t motivated to get screened for themselves, they’re encouraged to do it for someone who has experienced cervical cancer – as in, “get screened for me.”

Through #Screen4Me, Cervivor provides:

Cervivor is working to close the gap in cervical cancer screening and education, aiming to save lives by detecting cervical cancer early, when it is most treatable. By supporting programs like #Screen4Me, we can work together to create a cervical cancer-free future!

Interested in learning more? Sign up for updates here. Want to help fund our mission to end cervical cancer? All donations are gratefully accepted through our “Tell 20, Give 20” campaign. Find out more!

Hispanic Heritage Month

Did you know that Hispanic/Latina women have the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer in the U.S.? They undergo significantly fewer Pap tests than non-Hispanic white and black women and are less likely than women of other races/ethnicities to return for recommended follow-up after an abnormal Pap test.

These statistics from the American Cancer Society and Centers from Disease Control (CDC) are instructive to us at Cervivor to guide some of our educational efforts.

National Hispanic Heritage Month (celebrated Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 to correspond with the independence of many countries in Central America) honors Hispanic history, culture and contributions. Communities across the country mark the month with festivals and educational activities.

We want to halt cervical cancer in its tracks, in America and around the world. To do that most effectively, we need to be aware of the disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality among populations of women. 

For example, in the U.S., black women (followed by Hispanic women) have the highest death rate from cervical cancer. Mortality (death) rates of cervical cancer among Hispanic women are 50 percent higher than those of non-Hispanic women, and incidence rates among Hispanics are twice the rates of non-Hispanic women. Different populations bear different burdens of this disease, for different reasons.

Data from the American Cancer Society show that Hispanic women are less likely to get regular Pap tests. Hispanic and Latino Americans amount to an estimated 17.8% of the total U.S. population, making up the largest ethnic minority. This makes it a focus for our educational messages about cervical cancer prevention with Pap testing, HPV testing and HPV vaccination. This makes it a focus for our advocacy, education and personal Cervivor stories. 

What can we do as Cervivors?

  1. Familiarize yourself with Spanish-language educational resources and share them as part of your education and advocacy work. There is a downloadable Spanish-language “foto-novela” from the American Sexual Health Association, for example, fact sheets from the National Cancer Institute and cervical cancer screening patient information sheets from the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. (These and many more Spanish language resources are available here.)
  2. Join Cervivor Español: Private Facebook Group For Latina Cervical Cancer Patients & Survivors.
  3. Support local and national cancer control and prevention programs and policies aimed at decreasing disparities in cervical cancer mortality. For example: health reform efforts to reduce discriminatory practices against cancer patients and survivors; policies to include no-cost cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccination as a mandated part of insurance coverage, and initiatives to expand HPV vaccination. 
  4. Support the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP): The CDC’s NBCCEDP provides uninsured and underinsured women access to no-cost screening and diagnostic services, as well as a pathway to cancer treatment. Support federal and state funding for this program. Advocate for more funding to expand the reach of this lifesaving program. 
  5. Share your story. We’d love to have more representation from Latina Cervivors on our site. Submit your story here and come to one of our Cervivor Schools to learn more about bringing education and advocacy to your community. 
  6. Share Cervivor content on your social media platforms. You never know who might need this information.

We are all bonded by this disease. We are all motivated to ensure that no one else has to go through what we’ve gone through. Let’s be aware of the racial disparities in cervical cancer, address them head on, and put our support, stories and voices behind programs that can change cervical cancer statistics and save lives. 

Let’s celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by recognizing the power and strength of the Latino community and to doing what we can to expand education about cervical cancer screening and prevention.