Cervical Cancer Prevention

Cervical cancer prevention is defined by medics as among the most probable measures in medicine. Over the years, doctors have successfully used the Pap smear test as a means of detecting changes in the cervical cells. Despite the success rate of this kind of test, which has seen the rate of cervical cancer in the US alone drop drastically in the last 20 years, an absolute prevention measure is yet to be attained. This is mainly because there is no known definite cause of cervical cancer. Nevertheless, doctors know that the two strains of Human papilloma virus (HPV) account for at least seventy percent of all cervical cancer. As such, a HPV vaccine has been developed to cover women who are at a high risk of developing cervical cancer. Some of vaccines made by different drug companies include Gradasil by Merck & Co. and Cervarix by GlaxoSmithKline. The HPV vaccines target girls between the ages of 9 and 16. This is because they are only effective before the infection happens.

In their quest to develop more effective cervical cancer prevention techniques, scientists have also found a link between multiple sexual partners and cervical cancer. Accordingly, women who have multiple sexual partners have been found to be at a higher risk of contracting the disease than those who have one sexual partner. Alternatively, women with multiple sexual partners have been encouraged to use condoms during intercourse. Although it is yet to be proven whether condoms indeed offer a reliable protection against the disease, it is known that condoms prevent the women from contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as wart, Chlamydia, HIV and other STDs which are known to place women at a greater risk of developing cervical cancer.

Medics further recommend the avoidance of smoking as another way of cervical cancer prevention. Tobacco contains carcinogens, which increase a persons risk of getting different types of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, women smokers have a double chance at developing cervical cancer than their non-smoking counterparts.

Nutrition is also recommended as a cervical cancer prevention measure. Different researches published in different medical journals have shown a link between the consumption of fresh vegetables and a decrease in the persistence of HPV. The consumption of vitamins A, C and E was linked to lower persistence of the human papilloma virus, as was the case in women who have a high intake of folic acid, carotenoids.

Medics have also found a link between chemical exposures as a risk factor to developing cervical cancer. As such, as a cervical cancer prevention measure, doctors advice women working on manufacturing industries or farms to minimize their exposure to chemicals. Other risk factors that medics have identified after years of research are douching and a weak immune system. According to the studies, douching weakens the antiviral agents that naturally occur in a womans vagina therefore exposing her to risks of developing cervical cancer. A weak immune system on the other hand compounds the effects of HPV therefore allowing a quicker progression of cervical changes into cervical cancer.