REFERENCE : AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
Since the most common form of cervical cancer starts with
pre-cancerous changes, there are 2 ways to stop this disease from developing.
One way is to find and treat pre-cancers before they become true cancers, and
the other is to prevent the pre-cancers in the first place.
Finding cervical pre-cancers
A well-proven way to prevent cervix cancer is to have
testing (screening) to find pre-cancers before they can turn into invasive
cancer. The Pap test (sometimes called the Pap smear) and the HPV (human
papilloma virus) test are used for this. If a pre-cancer is found, it can be
treated, stopping cervical cancer before it really starts. Since no HPV vaccine
provides complete protection against all of the HPV types that can cause cancer
of the cervix, it cannot prevent all cases of cervical cancer. This is why it
is very important that women continue to have cervical cancer screening even
after they’ve been vaccinated. Most invasive cervical cancers are found in
women who have not had regular screening.
Things to do to prevent pre-cancers and cancers
Avoid contact with the human papilloma virus (HPV)
Since HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer and
pre-cancer, avoiding exposure to HPV could help you prevent this disease. HPV
is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin contact with an
infected area of the body. Although HPV can be spread during sex − including
vaginal, anal, and oral sex − sex doesn't have to occur for the infection to
spread. All that is needed is skin-to-skin contact with an area of the body
infected with HPV. This means that the virus can be spread through
genital-to-genital contact (without intercourse). It is even possible for a
genital infection to spread through hand-to-genital contact.
Also, HPV infection seems to be able to be spread from one
part of the body to another. This means that an infection may start in the
cervix and then spread to the vagina and vulva.
It can be very hard not to be exposed to HPV. It may be
possible to prevent genital HPV infection by not allowing others to have
contact with your anal or genital area, but even then there might be other ways
to become infected that aren’t yet clear. For example, a recent study found HPV
on the surface of sex toys, so sharing sex toys might spread HPV.
HPV infection in women: HPV infections occur mainly in
younger women and are less common in women older than 30. The reason for this
is not clear. Certain types of sexual behaviour increase a woman's risk of
getting HPV infection, such as having sex at an early age and having many sex
partners.
Women who have had many sex partners are more likely to get
infected with HPV, but a woman who has had only one sex partner can still get
infected. This is more likely if she has a partner who has had many sex partners
or if her partner is an uncircumcised male.
Waiting to have sex until you are older can help you avoid
HPV. It also helps to limit your number of sex partners and to avoid having sex
with someone who has had many other sex partners. Although the virus most often
spreads between a man and a woman, HPV infection and cervical cancer also are
seen in women who have only had sex with other women. Remember that someone can
have HPV for years and still have no symptoms − it does not always cause warts
or other problems. Someone can have the virus and pass it on without knowing
it.
Still, since all that’s needed to pass HPV from one person
to another is skin-to-skin contact with an area of the body infected with HPV,
even never having sex doesn’t guarantee that you won’t ever get infected. It
might be possible to prevent anal and genital HPV infection by never allowing
another person to have contact with those areas of your body.
HPV infection in men: For men, the main factors influencing
the risk of genital HPV infection are circumcision and the number of sex
partners.
Men who are circumcised (have had the foreskin of the penis
removed) have a lower chance of becoming and staying infected with HPV. Men who
have not been circumcised are more likely to be infected with HPV and pass it
on to their partners. The reasons for this are unclear. It may be that after
circumcision the skin on the glans (of the penis) goes through changes that
make it more resistant to HPV infection. Another theory is that the surface of
the foreskin (which is removed by circumcision) is more easily infected by HPV.
Still, circumcision does not completely protect against HPV infection − men who
are circumcised can still get HPV and pass it on to their partners.
The risk of being infected with HPV is also strongly linked
to having many sexual partners (over a man's lifetime).
Use condoms
Condoms (“rubbers”) provide some protection against HPV but
they don’t completely prevent infection. Men who use condoms are less likely to
be infected with HPV and to pass it on to their female partners. One study
found that when condoms are used correctly every time sex occurs they can lower
the HPV infection rate by about 70%. One reason that condoms cannot protect
completely is because they don’t cover every possible HPV-infected area of the
body, such as skin of the genital or anal area. Still, condoms provide some
protection against HPV, and they also protect against HIV and some other
sexually transmitted infections. Condoms (when used by the male partner) also
seem to help the HPV infection and cervical pre-cancers go away faster.
Female condoms fit inside the vagina and can help protect
against pregnancy. They also can protect against sexually transmitted
infections, including HPV and HIV, although for this they aren’t as effective
as male condoms.
Do not smoke
Not smoking is another important way to reduce the risk of
cervical pre-cancer and cancer.
Get vaccinated
Vaccines are available that can protect against certain HPV
infections. All of these vaccines protect against infection with HPV subtypes
16 and 18. Some can also protect against infections with other HPV subtypes,
including some types that cause anal and genital warts.
These vaccines only work to prevent HPV infection − they
will not treat an infection that is already there. That is why, to be most
effective, the HPV vaccines should be given before a person becomes exposed to
HPV (such as through sexual activity).
These vaccines help prevent pre-cancers and cancers of the
cervix. Some HPV vaccines are also approved to help prevent other types of
cancers and anal and genital warts.
The vaccines require a series of injections (shots). Side
effects are usually mild. The most common one is short-term redness, swelling,
and soreness at the injection site. Rarely, a young woman will faint shortly
after the vaccine injection.
The American Cancer Society recommendations for HPV vaccine
use are similar to those from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP), and include the following:
· Routine HPV vaccination for girls and boys should be
started at age 11 or 12. The vaccination series can be started as early as age
9.
· HPV vaccination is also recommended for females 13 to 26
years old and for males 13 to 21 years old who have not started the vaccines,
or who have started but not completed the series. Males 22 to 26 years old may
also be vaccinated.
· HPV vaccination is also recommended through age 26 for men
who have sex with men and for people with weakened immune systems (including
people with HIV infection), if they have not previously been vaccinated.
*For people 22 to 26 years old who have not started the
vaccines, or who have started but not completed the series, it’s important to
know that vaccination at older ages is less effective in lowering cancer risk.
It’s important to realize that no vaccine provides complete
protection against all cancer-causing types of HPV, so routine cervical cancer
screening is still necessary.
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