Almost 10 000 women in America have to struggle with cervical cancer and it is the second cause for cancer death in women. There are several risk factors you can become aware of and start the fight earlier and with greater chances of success. These risk factors include smoking, each woman's sexual history, genetics, multiple births, oral contraceptives, exposure to DES, not getting the regular Pap screening, HIV infections and, most importantly, HPV infections.

The Human Papilloma Virus is a sexually transmitted disease that in found in 80% to 90% of the women suffering from cervical cancer. However, 80% of USA's population caries it and that means that getting the virus does not cause cervical cancer but can add to other risk factors and contribute to its development. HPV leads to precancerous conditions, lesions like dysplasia, genital warts which if untreated can lead to cervical cancer. There are over a hundred different strains of HPV and most of them are harmless. Only a couple or a little more can impact the cervix to a degree that stimulates cancer development. Unfortunately, HPV infections show no signs or symptoms in the early stages of precancerous lesions so it's very hard to detect on time. Early diagnosis is vital and dysplasia for example is 100% curable. Later on in the process, the cancer becomes more and more invasive and prognosis for survival drops exponentially throughout the stages.



The best way to act about this is to get regular Pap screenings once you become sexually active. This is the most certain way to detect and treat the cancer on time.

The HPV vaccine is also a very useful tool against HPV infection as the only other alternative is sexual abstinence. This vaccine has not to long ago been taken by 1 out of 4 girls but today 1 out of 3 girls opt for it. It is usually given to girls ages 11 and 12 and it's recommended that you take it before becoming sexually active. However, women of over 25 who have had sex are also recommended to have the vaccine.

Despite long and strenuous debates, though it deals with the delicate subject of sex so early in their daughters' lives,  mothers must admit that the vaccine is actually very safe and effective. There are no live viruses in the vaccine though it can have some side-effects like redness and soreness at the location of the vaccine, fever and even headaches. These can be easily alleviated just make sure you let your doctor know about them.



One thing you should remember before enthusiatically schedule yourself for a vaccine is that this doesn't make you carefree for life. You are still recommended and required to get an annual Pap test if you want to take all measures to protect yourself against the cancer.