Why Don't Annual Pap Smears Stop Cervical Cancer?

To achieve optimum health requires that one must get those regular cancer checkups. One such checkup needed annually by younger and older women alike is the cervical exam and Pap Smear.

Cervical cancer is growing epidemically in young women and sometimes even in older women. It is a very serious cancer and often ends in death. The real problem is that it is now entirely possible to detect it early or to even prevent it from occurring, however, the majority of women do not take time and the precautions to obtain the knowledge to protect themselves from this disease.

Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus, or HPV. All cervical cancer is caused by HPV even though all kinds of HPV does not cause cervical cancer. Moreover, even if you have a the type of HPV which causes cancer, the HPV could go just go away and not become serious.

HPV can be only transmitted by the sexual relations or any other membrane that comes into contact with another membrane. Unlike the majority of another STDs, condoms offer little protection against the transmission of HPV. The types of HPV which cause cancer usually do not have obvious symptoms and thus remain untreated. This leads to cervical cancer or are passed on to sexual partners.

The current defense used against cervical cancer is the PAP Smear. It is a procedure normally performed during your annual gynecological examination. The doctor uses a simple tool to scrape a tissue sample from your cervix. He then sends it to the laboratory for the analysis. At the lab, The tissue sample is simply examined to determine if the cells which were gathered are normal or abnormal. An abnormal sampling usually states that you have HPV or cervical cancer. The doctor will ask you to have other tests and to come in more often for pelvic examinations.

Unfortunately PAP Smears are not always conclusive. Many women, upon being told their PAP is abnormal, often come back for more tests but are given no diagnosis or treatment. The doctor basically maintains a position of "watching and waiting". Sadly such a position often allows HPV to be transformed into cervical cancer, making it much more serious.

While cervical cancer is very serious, it is not the only danger with your reproductive health. When you go to obtain your annual pelvic examination your doctor also checks other reproductive questions. These possible problems may seem secondary to cancer, however, they can be just as dangerous or painful and it is an important part of your pelvic examination.

While Pap smears are an effective method to detect HPV and to probably prevent cervical cancer, more recent advances have been made that can prevent many types of HPV. These are vaccines that, if given at least 5 years before exposure, are very effective to prevent you ever getting HPV or cervical cancer. Of course you will always need to obtain regular PAP Smears and pelvic examinations to remain cancer-free.

For more information about staying in optimal health no matter what your age, please visit Optimal Health Information.