When was the last time you had a Pap Test?
Posted on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 7:32 AMA year after the first vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) was approved, women say they know that Pap tests are important, are having them regularly, and rely on their doctors more than any other source for information to help them make health decisions, according to a new nationwide survey of 1,421 women ages 18 to 45 who have heard of the new HPV vaccine.
However, the survey also revealed that nearly one in four uninsured women (24 percent) have not had a Pap test in the last three years, and Latinas are less aware than other women that HPV is sexually transmitted. The survey was conducted by Lake Research Partners for the American Social Health Association (ASHA) in June – one year after the Food & Drug Administration approved a vaccine that protects against the four strains of HPV responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
Women who said they had not heard of the HPV vaccine that protects against cervical cancer were excluded from the survey, but more than 90 percent said they had heard of it. Of the women surveyed, a strong majority (85 percent) say women should get Pap tests once a year, and 87 percent say they have had one in the past three years.
Women understand the link between HPV and cervical cancer – more than eight in ten say that HPV is a cause of cervical cancer, and two-thirds (66 percent) say it is a major cause. Still, many also cite genetics and family history (80 percent), herpes (46 percent) and smoking (45 percent) as causes when, in fact, cervical cancer is caused by HPV.
What specific tests should a young lady request specifically when she goes to the doctor for her yearly exam? Is the HPV exam automatically included in the testing?
What other STD tests should she request too? The appointment is Friday so, I want to be sure I give her the correct information since she is 20 and she doesn’t want me to go in the room with her! LOL
If somebody is wanting to get tested for STDS then it’s important to ask the doctor OR the clinic what they are planning on testing you for.
An annual pap exam is not the proper way to test for STDS. However, the Thin Prep Pap Test is supposed to be a great way to detect HPV.
You just have to be open to discussing all of this with your doctor and/or the clinic that you are thinking of having the testing done at.
Good Luck!
Yoshi2me, thank you for your informative website. Concerned Parent, I hope your daughter’s doctor appt. went well and that she got the HPV test along with a pap and a clean bill of health.
Yoshi2me, please do a separate post on the importance of getting the HPV Test to diagnose HPV and for the prevention and diagnosis of cervical cancer.
80% of the population will have HPV at some point in their lives. There are over 100 strains of HPV and 15 of them are considered “high risk.” Two of those high risk strains (HPV-16, HPV-18) cause 70% of cervical cancer, which the HPV Test can detect.
Here’s some very exciting news: the HPV Test, which was released in the U.S. in 2000, was recently found to be 94.6% accurate in diagnosing cervical cancer compared to the Pap test at 55.4% accuracy based on a Canadian Cervical Cancer Trial with over 10,000 women.
As a 12-year cervical cancer survivor, the HPV Test didn’t exist back when my Paps showed advanced dysplasia, which, finally after a year of confusion and several uncomfortable medical procedures, led to a cervical cancer diagnosis and subsequent hysterectomy.
Today, with the HPV Test, if women would just make sure to ask for the test along with their annual (liquid-preferred) Pap, they can not only eliminate a lot of worry, but also prevent serious complications if they get the test early enough.
The best place I’ve found to learn more is at http://www.thehpvtest.com
Mary
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for your informative comment. I think you will find if you read through the appropriate sections of my blog that I am in full support of what you said that that there is really no need for me to do separate posts for cervical cancer vs. the human papillomavirus.
I hope you will pop in more often and share what you know with my readers. The more informed we are and the more we take the time to participate in these discussions the bigger the chances of spreading awareness will be. (That’s just my opinion)
Yoshi, hi! You’re so right about staying informed. Thanks for acknowledging my post and continuing the conversation about the importance of being tested for HPV to prevent cervical cancer. Mary
I have an OBGYN appointment at the end of the month. I’ll have to poke my head in here and let ya’ll know how it goes.
I’m planning to discuss proper HPV testing as well as the type of birth control that will allow me to miss my monthly periods! I’m looking forward to THAT a lot! :P
Mary… I almost forgot to ask you. Would you be interested in sharing your cervical cancer story with me and allowing me to post it over on my site? (www.yoshi2me.com)