The more we learn, the more questions we have.
As I was chatting with a nurse practitioner at Monarch Healthcare about the importance of annual exams our conversation quickly refocused to exactly what those important exams are looking for.
A pap is recommended every 3 years – good to know and leads to the question: Why not every year? The more we learn, the more questions we have.
Pap smears are screening for atypical cells that over time lead to cervical cancer – leads to the question: How common is cervical cancer? The more we learn, the more questions we have.
The Gardasil vaccine can decrease a woman’s chance of getting cervical cancer by 70%. This leads to the question: Who and when should we be getting this vaccine?
The more we learn, the more questions we have.
You can see how our conversation quickly snowballed into a great discussion about some real stats and facts about things we need to think about for ourselves, AND our daughters.
Nicole Long has been a Nurse Practitioner at Monarch Healthcare for 7 years. She spent over 10 years as a women’s health and Labor & Delivery nurse prior to this. As a mom of two and local to IF she was excited to share some important information with us.
Annual Exams & Pap Smears ::
– Current guidelines encourage women 21 and older to see a gynecologist for an exam once EVERY year.
This annual exam is important, not only, for the pelvic exam but also for a breast exam and overall health check. This yearly exam is the perfect time to open the conversation with your doctor about anything and everything: self-breast exams, birth control, sexual activity questions, future pregnancy, mental health, and more!
– Women should receive a pap smear every 3 years.
Okay, let’s chat about this one for a minute.
A pap smear is screening for atypical cervical cells that could be a sign of cervical cancer. Not all atypical cells are precancerous though, and the transition from atypical cells to cancer is slow. In the past, you may have had a pap smear every year, but that has been updated to every 3 years as research on cervical cancer has progressed. If you have a history of abnormal screenings however, your doctor may suggest additional screenings.
HPV, human papillomavirus, is the cause of almost all cases of cervical cancer. After age 30, an HPV screening should be added to your pap smear. If a pap smear indicates atypical cells, HPV presence is assumed. The good news is that most women naturally clear the virus on their own AND cervical cancer is very slow to progress. So, a pap smear and screening every 3 years is just enough to ensure any abnormalities that could lead to cancer are caught in time and addressed. Studies found that yearly pap smears often led to cryotherapy or invasive removal of cells that weren’t necessary and could possibly lead to future complications with pregnancy.
HPV & The Gardasil Vaccine ::
– Human Papillomavirus is common.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 80% of sexually active Americans are infected with HPV at some point in their lives. But, most people never know they have the virus and our immune systems naturally clear it in most cases.
– The Gardasil vaccine will decrease your chance of being diagnosed with cervical cancer by 70%.
Yeah, that’s A LOT. There are about 150 different strands of HPV with only about 15 of those known to cause cervical cancer. Gardasil protects us from 9 of those 15, including strands 16 and 18. HPV strand 16 is the culprit for 55-60% of cervical cancer and strand 18 is 10-15%.
– Women and girls ages 9 – 45 can receive the Gardasil vaccine.
The recommendation is to immunize for HPV prior to sexual activity. So, discuss with your child’s pediatrician if you’re interested in immunizing your son or daughter (males who are immunized help prevent the spread of strands that could lead to cervical cancer). Those age 9 – 15 will receive two vaccines 6 – 12 months apart and those older than 15 will need 3 doses to be fully immunized. The FDA recently approved Gardasil for women through age 45 as well.
Did this info lead to some questions? Ask them in the comments, message us, or reach out to Monarch Healthcare.
While a pelvic exam and vaccine may not be on the top of your favorites list (for yourself or your daughters), it’s important to think about regularly and be informed.
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