4 Things We Want Women to Know About Fertility
As you welcome in the new year, you're hopeful it will be the year you finally get pregnant. If you’re having trouble with fertility, there are a few important points we want to share with you.
Why Women Shouldn't Pass Up the Opportunity to Screen for Cervical Cancer
When you get a chance to screen for something as potentially serious as cancer, it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss. And this certainly applies to cervical cancer, which was diagnosed in almost 14,000 women in the United States last year. In that same year, the disease claimed more than 4,000 lives.
Since January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley want to remind women of the importance of screening for cervical cancer.
In the following, we get into what screening can accomplish, how we screen, and what screening schedules we recommend.
Regular screening can detect and prevent cervical cancer
When we screen for cervical cancer, we’re not just looking for the presence of cancerous cells, but also precancerous or abnormal cells.
So, cervical screening can not only detect when there's cancer, it can help us identify the potential for cancer, which allows us to step in and reverse this dangerous course.
To illustrate how effective this is, let’s look at some numbers. The average age of diagnosis for cervical cancer is 50, but 20% of women are over the age of 65 when they’re diagnosed. If, however, you’ve been screening regularly for cancer throughout your reproductive years, it’s rare to be diagnosed as you get older, as we’ve been able to stay on top of any abnormalities.
How we screen for cervical cancer
If you’re worried that screening is cumbersome, we assure you it’s quick and easy. There are two ways we screen for cervical cancer: the Pap test and the HPV test.
Pap test
We take a quick swab of your cervix during a pelvic exam to collect some cells, and then we examine them under a microscope to look for abnormalities and cell changes.
HPV test
HPV stands for human papillomavirus, which is a common virus, and there are certain strains that are responsible for cervical cancer. So, when we perform an HPV test, we’re swabbing your cervix to check for signs of infection.
In many cases, we can use the same sample to check for both an HPV infection and the presence of abnormal or precancerous cells.
When you should screen for cervical cancer
While each woman has different risk factors, the National Cancer Institute recommends starting screening at the age of 21. Between the ages of 21 and 29, women should get a Pap test every 3 years.
Between the ages of 30 and 64, experts recommend one of the following:
- An HPV test every 5 years
- An HPV-Pap combined test every 5 years
- A Pap test every 3 years
Once you reach the age of 65, we may stop screening, but only if you’ve been screening all along. If you haven’t been screening, we want to perform one or both of the Pap or HPV tests.
The easy part is that we can screen during your annual well woman exams so you don’t need to make a special trip. If we do find abnormal cells, we may increase your testing schedule for a while to watch for any changes.
If you have a family or personal history of cervical cancer, we may also want to increase your testing schedule to be on the safe side.
If you’re unsure about when you should screen for cervical cancer or you’d like to schedule an appointment, we’re just a click or phone call away. To get started, please contact one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas, to schedule your consultation.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Unlocking the Benefits of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Rock-hard abs and toned biceps are great goals, but there are less obvious muscles that can benefit from conditioning, such as your pelvic floor. A little effort in this area can offset some life-altering conditions like incontinence.
The Birth Control Shot: How It Works, and How to Maximize Its Effectiveness
You’ve made the decision that you’re not ready to build a family. With that decision set, now comes the tricky part — choosing a birth control method that’s right for you. To help, we take a closer look at the birth control shot.
4 Important Things to Consider for Your Birth Plan
Whether it’s your first child or not, you have an idea about how you want to welcome your newborn into the world. Creating a birth plan to support your goals is a great idea, and here’s what you should consider.
Do I Need to Remove My Essure® If I’m Not Having Symptoms?
Since the introduction of Essure® female sterilization more than two decades ago, some women have run into problems that require removal. Should you be joining this list even if you don’t have symptoms?
What We Want You to Know About Screening for Breast Cancer
About 1 in 8 women in the United States develop breast cancer, but early detection increases the chances of a better outcome. Think pink this month by taking advantage of these breast cancer screening tools.