Cervical Cancer Awareness Month helps get women vaccinated against HPV

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Due to the pandemic, doctors are concerned that some women have delayed their regular screening exams.

Dr Ashley Valenzuela said because people are afraid to go to their doctor or hospital because of COVID, regular screenings for things like cervical cancer are being overlooked.

She says cancers that are usually caught early through screenings are now being caught at later stages.

Dr. Valenzuela says cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. She says it’s important that people get vaccinated against HPV. Dr Valenzuela says the vaccine covers nine strains of the virus and people between the ages of 9 and 45 can get it.

Although, she says, the vaccine is more effective if you receive it as a child before becoming sexually active. She says it can reduce the risk of cervical cancer by 90%.

She says it’s safe to get a vaccine, like the HPV one, at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Valenzuela says a cervical cancer awareness month is a good time for people to take the necessary steps to stay healthy.

“There were about 14,000 new cases of cervical cancer in 2021. They expect about the same for 2022. Of these, about 4,000 women will die from the disease. I think the most important thing to realize here is that this is a preventable cancer that is screened from age 21 with pap smears,” Dr. Valenzuela said.

Dr. Valenzuela says the HPV vaccination rate for Georgia is 50%, but that’s something that can be improved by bringing tweens and teens to these recommended screening appointments.

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