You’d Do Anything To Fight Cervical Cancer.
SO DO THIS ONE THING TO PREVENT IT.

A simple vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer.  So why wouldn’t you take action today? You’d do anything to fight it, so do this one thing to prevent it.  Call to see if you or someone you love qualifies for a low cost vaccine. Get vaccinated and get a regular Pap test.  No more excuses.

Low-cost HPV Vaccine

How do I qualify?

If you are female and between the ages of 19 and 26 and have no health insurance or your health insurance does not cover the HPV vaccine, you may be eligible to receive the HPV vaccine at a low cost.

Call 1-800-717-1811 for more information or click here to find a participating clinic in your area.

Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program

How do I qualify?

If you are female and between the ages of 9 and 18 and have no health insurance or your health insurance does not cover the HPV vaccine, you may qualify for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.

Call 1-800-717-1811 or visit the Utah Immunization Program to find a VFC provider in your area.

What is cervical cancer?

• A serious but preventable cancer of the cervix (lower part of your uterus).
• It is caused by abnormal cells that develop in the cervix and grow out of control.
• This cancer can be treated and cured if found at an early stage.
• 99.7% of cervical cancers are caused by an infection called the human papillomavirus (HPV).

What is HPV?

• HPV is a common virus that infects more than 50% of all sexually active adults at some point in their life.
• Most people who have HPV do not even know they have it. Signs of HPV infection can show up weeks, months, or even years after a person is infected.
• HPV often clears up on its own.
• If it doesn’t clear up, high-risk types of HPV can cause cervical cancer.
• HPV can also cause genital warts. Genital warts are growths or bumps in the genital areas of men and women.

How is HPV spread?

• It is spread through any type of skin-to-skin genital contact with a person who has HPV.
• You are at higher risk of getting HPV if you have vaginal, anal or oral sex with a person who has genital HPV.
• But remember, you do not have to have sexual intercourse to get HPV.

HPV is NOT spread by:

• Toilet seats
• Kissing on the mouth, hugging, or holding hands
• Poor personal hygiene
• Sharing food or utensils
• Swimming in pools or hot tubs

How can women prevent cervical cancer and HPV?

• The surest way to prevent genital HPV infection is to not have genital contact with another individual.
• Only have sexual contact with one person who only has sexual contact with you.
• Use a condom every time you have sex. While condoms don’t fully protect from HPV, they can still reduce the chance you’ll get it.
• Get vaccinated! A vaccine is now available for females ages 9-26.
• Get regular Pap tests to detect abnormal cells on the cervix.

More about the vaccine:

• This vaccine can prevent cervical cancer!
• The HPV vaccine protects against the four types of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts.
• It is given in a series of three shots over a period of six months.
• The best time to vaccinate is before a female becomes sexually active. However, females who are sexually active may also benefit from the vaccine.

Why should women, even those who got the vaccine, get a regular Pap test?

• Getting a regular Pap test can save a woman’s life.
• The Pap test is the best way to screen for cervical cancer.
• The test detects changes before they turn into cancer so they can be treated.
• It is recommended that women start getting Pap tests at 21 years of age or within three years of the first time they have sexual intercourse.

References:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Cancer Institute
• American Cancer Society

Additional Resources

• Utah Cancer Control Program
• Utah Cancer Action Network
• Utah Immunization Program
• Vaccines for Children
• Cervical Cancer Resources American Cancer Society/Cervical Cancer
• American Social Health Association/HPV
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Cervical Cancer
• Gynecologic Cancer Foundation – Women’s Cancer Network
• National Cancer Institute
• The Center for Young Women’s Health, Boston Children’s Hospital
• (PDF) Human Papillomavirus Resources American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Cancer Pathology
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Human Papillomavirus Infection
• Cervical Cancer Vaccine Basics
• National HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention Resource Center, created by the American Social Health Association
• U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health: Medline Plus