Having an abnormal Pap smear can cause a lot of concern for a woman. In 2021, over 14,400 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed with nearly 4,300 women dying from it. What women need to know about cervical cancer starts with understanding risk, learning the symptoms, and getting regular Pap smears.
Alison Huff is a mom of two and a 16-year survivor of cervical cancer. She told Mom.com that every Pap smear is concerning. “Even now, 16 years later, I still worry over my Pap results. I don’t think that ever goes away.”
So, what does cervical cancer look like? Early detection is critical to survival rates and this is best achieved by learning the symptoms.
Symptoms of cervical cancers: What does cervical cancer look like
HPV vaccine for cervical cancer
Many cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. The HPV vaccine is an important defense against most types of cervical cancer if given before exposure to the virus. It can also protect against vaginal and vulvar cancer in women and can prevent genital warts and anal cancer in both women and men. And as HPV infections can be “caught from unprotected sex,” according to Dr. Tripathy, it's important to educate our kids about being safe.
(It is recommended that boys get the HPV vaccine as well. HPV has been linked to some cancers in the mouth and throat, and the vaccine can offer protection from these as well as protecting girls from contracting the virus by decreasing transmission.)
“One way to reduce your risks of getting cervical cancer is getting the HPV vaccine,” continued Dr. Tripathy. “It’s available and safe for girls as young as 11 years old.” While this won’t eliminate all possible causes of cervical cancer, it is one way to help reduce risk.
For Alison, it’s important that she doesn’t just get herself checked regularly, she needs to teach her two daughters how to protect themselves, too. Her girls are now 16 and 19, and both have had the HPV vaccine.
“I do feel better knowing that my girls are vaccinated, but also that they understand the importance of safe sex and why they got the vaccine in the first place,” she said. She credits frank conversations with how she has helped her daughters understand the risk and help prevent what she went through.
