HPV and Cervical Cancer, Get Protected

Let me start by telling you I am participating in a blog tour that I volunteered for because I was someone who ended up having HPV with all three of my pregnancies, maybe not with my last born actually. I do recall having HPV shortly after the first two were born and being scared to death by some of the people I saw for my PAP smears because they told me I was at high risk for cervical cancer, I even ended up having to have the cells burned off of my cervix and from there was told if the HPV cells did not go away they were going to freeze my cervix. I was scared, these people I was seeing were doctors who shouldn’t have been so scary and feel they should have better explained to me exactly what HPV is so today I am happy to share you with a website that you can visit for Information on HPV and Cervical Cancer.

With this website more and more people will get educated and hopefully my daughter will grow up knowing what HPV is and how she can help prevent cervical cancer in her own body.  Mind you I am only 28 years old and had HPV when I was only 20 years old {almost 21} but the recommendation for the digene HPV test is once you hit age 30. Here are some facts so that you can make sure you are seeing your doctor on a regular basis for the correct intervals when you reach the ages set forth below to ensure you are properly screened for HPV and cervical cancer:

• THE PAP TEST looks at a sample of cells taken from a woman’s cervix for any cell changes or abnormalities. Pap testing should begin at age 21. {I started at age 15}
  
• THE HPV TEST is conducted from the same sample as the Pap and identifies women with high-risk HPV infections that can cause cervical cancer. When used with a Pap in women 30 and older, the HPV test increases the ability to identify who is at risk of developing cervical cancer.
• If you are age 30 or older, ask your doctor for the digene HPV Test together with your Pap test.
• If both tests come back normal, then the tests don’t need to be repeated for 3 years. But remember to return each year for your annual health exam.
• If one or both tests come back abnormal, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have cervical cancer. It simply enables your healthcare provider to monitor you more closely or treat pre-cancerous cells before cervical cancer develops.
• HPV testing isn’t necessary for women younger than 30, because HPV infections in young women usually go away on their own without causing problems. Women under 30 will only have HPV testing if their Pap test is inconclusive.

I just had to make an addition on the last bullet point above, I am living proof that HPV goes away on it’s own if you are younger than age 30. I have had it 2-3 times and it has always gone away on it’s own within a year. I know that once I am 30 years old, which will only be next year on October 28, 2011, that I will be getting the HPV testing done!

Have you had HPV testing done before with your PAP SMEAR? If not, is it because you haven’t been educated enough? There are a lot of resources on the HPV and Cervical Cancer informational website to help lead you in the right direction based on age!

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the QIAGEN digene HPV test. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”