What Women Should Know

• Cervical cancer is highly preventable – screening and vaccination are key.
• Cervical cancer is almost always caused by a common virus – human papillomavirus (or "HPV").
• Most women will have HPV, but few will develop cervical cancer.
• Only HPV infections that persists can lead to cancer.
• Every 2½ hours, a woman dies of cervical cancer in the United States, despite its being the only cancer with a single-known cause - HPV - which makes it virtually 100 percent preventable.
• A Pap test looks for cell changes on the cervix that might lead to cancer.
• Using an HPV test with a Pap test in women over 30 can better identify women at risk for cancer.
• An HPV vaccine that prevents 70% of cervical cancers is now available.
• Women should talk to their healthcare providers about the most advanced and appropriate technologies available for cervical cancer screening and immunization.