Let's be honest—many women don't visit a gynecologist every year. Not because they don't care about their health, but because they feel well, have no symptoms, and it's easy to postpone the appointment.
The challenge is that cervical cancer often develops silently, without noticeable symptoms in its early stages.
In the United States, approximately 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and around 4,000 die from the disease. Many of these cases could be prevented if precancerous changes were detected through routine cervical screening.
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to learn how regular screening can help protect your health.
Why Many Women Delay Cervical Screening
Common reasons women postpone cervical screening include:
- Fear of receiving abnormal results.
- Feeling healthy and assuming screening isn't necessary.
- Not receiving a reminder or invitation.
- Being too busy to schedule an appointment.
- Worry that the examination will be painful.
These concerns are understandable, but they are often based on uncertainty rather than facts.
Cervical cancer usually develops slowly over 10–20 years and often causes no symptoms until later stages. When symptoms such as unusual bleeding, changes in vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, or pain during intercourse appear, the disease may already be more advanced.
This slow progression is also what makes regular screening so effective—it can detect abnormal cell changes before cancer develops.
What Causes Cervical Cancer?
The primary cause of cervical cancer is persistent infection with certain high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
It's important to remember:
- Most sexually active people will be exposed to HPV during their lifetime.
- Most HPV infections clear naturally without causing health problems.
- Cervical cancer may develop when a high-risk HPV infection persists for many years.
HPV Myths and Facts
Myth: "Condoms don't protect against HPV."
Fact: Condoms significantly reduce the risk of many sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV. Although they cannot completely prevent HPV because it spreads through skin-to-skin contact, they do reduce the risk of transmission.
Myth: "If I'm not having sex, HPV isn't a concern."
Fact: HPV can spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, even without penetrative sex. People may carry HPV without knowing it because it often causes no symptoms.
Myth: "HPV can be cured."
Fact: There is currently no treatment that removes HPV itself. Healthcare professionals treat the abnormal cell changes caused by the virus, making prevention and regular screening especially important.
Myth: "If I'm vaccinated, I don't need cervical screening."
Fact: HPV vaccination provides excellent protection against several high-risk HPV types but does not cover every type. Regular cervical screening remains essential.
Myth: "The more often I get screened, the better."
Fact: Following evidence-based screening recommendations is more beneficial than testing more frequently than advised.
Myth: "HPV only affects women."
Fact: HPV also affects men and can increase the risk of cancers of the throat, anus, and penis. Vaccination and safer sex practices are important for everyone.
Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer
- Persistent infection with multiple high-risk HPV types.
- Smoking.
- Long-term hormonal contraceptive use in women with HPV infection.
- Conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV.
- Having more than three childbirths or giving birth before age 17.
- Poor nutrition or obesity.
What Can Cervical Screening Detect?
Cervical screening, including the Pap test and HPV test, can identify:
- Precancerous cervical cell changes.
- Persistent infection with high-risk HPV.
Women who become sexually active should not wait years before paying attention to cervical health. Current recommendations generally advise beginning cervical screening according to national guidelines or within three years of becoming sexually active, while also receiving regular STI testing when appropriate.
Risk increases with:
- Early sexual activity.
- Multiple sexual partners.
- Sexually transmitted infections.
What Happens During a Cervical Screening?
A cervical screening is usually quick and should not be painful, although some women may experience brief discomfort.
During the examination, a healthcare professional gently inserts a speculum into the vagina to view the cervix. A small brush is then used to collect cells from the cervix and cervical canal. Sample collection usually takes less than a minute.
Conventional Pap Smear
A traditional Pap smear examines cervical cells placed directly onto a microscope slide. Blood, mucus, or other materials may occasionally make the sample more difficult to interpret.
Liquid-Based Cytology (LBC)
With liquid-based cytology, the sample is placed into a preservative solution before laboratory analysis. This method often provides a cleaner sample and may also allow additional testing, such as HPV testing, from the same specimen.
How to Prepare for a Cervical Screening
For the most accurate results:
- Schedule your appointment when you are not menstruating.
- Avoid sexual intercourse for 48 hours beforehand.
- Do not use tampons, vaginal medications, or suppositories before the test.
- Avoid vaginal douching. Washing the vulva externally is perfectly fine.
How to Help Prevent Cervical Cancer
- Attend cervical screening appointments regularly.
- Receive the HPV vaccine if eligible.
- Avoid smoking.
- Use barrier protection during sexual activity, while understanding it does not eliminate HPV risk entirely.
Why HPV Vaccination Matters for Boys Too
HPV is not only a women's health issue. High-risk HPV can also cause cancers of the throat, anus, and penis in men, while low-risk types may cause genital warts.
Vaccinating both girls and boys helps create herd immunity and reduces HPV transmission throughout the community.
The Bottom Line
If cervical screening hasn't been a priority yet, you're not alone. However, cervical cancer often develops without symptoms, making regular screening one of the most effective ways to detect precancerous changes before they become cancer.
It is one of the few cancers that can often be prevented through routine screening—even when you feel completely healthy.
Schedule your screening for yourself, and encourage the women you care about to do the same.
When was your last cervical screening?
This article is based on publicly available recommendations from national cervical cancer prevention resources and was medically reviewed by obstetrician-gynecologist Prof. Dr. Kristina Jarienė.
