Health-Wellness
By Bonnie Roll, CNM, WHNP
January is Cervical Health Awareness month. Each year, nearly 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States. Yet with early detection, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers today. Cervical cancer is caused almost entirely by persistent HPV infections. HPV is extremely common, and most people who are sexually active will be exposed at some point in their lives. If the immune system cannot clear the virus naturally, long term infection can lead to abnormal cell changes that may develop into cancer. Modern medicine has given us the tools to stop this process long before it becomes life threatening with vaccinations and screenings.
Few public health advances have shown as much promise as the HPV vaccine. Since its introduction, infections with the cancer causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) have dropped dramatically around the world. The growing body of evidence tells a hopeful story: When prevention is widely used, lives are protected, and a future without cervical cancer comes clearly into view.
The success of HPV vaccination programs worldwide demonstrates the transformative potential of prevention. Australia, which provides free HPV vaccination through its National Immunization Program, has achieved remarkable reduction in HPV infections among young women and is now on track to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2035. Scotland’s long term data are equally striking—girls vaccinated at ages 12 or 13 were fully protected against cervical cancer. These results highlight the extraordinary impact of early vaccination.
The United States is also experiencing encouraging progress. Vaccination rates continue to improve, and infections with the HPV strains responsible for most HPV related cancers have dropped sharply among teens and young adults. These gains show the vaccine works and that expanding its reach could accelerate progress even further.
Screening is the second cornerstone of cervical cancer prevention, and it is just as essential to this success story. Routine Pap smear and HPV tests allow healthcare providers to detect abnormal cervical cell changes long before cancer develops, making early treatment highly effective and often simple. Because cervical cancer usually progresses slowly, regular screening offers a powerful advantage—time. Beginning screening at age 21 and continuing at recommended intervals provides consistent protection throughout adulthood. Today’s screening options are flexible and accessible, giving women multiple ways to stay on track. When combined with vaccination, screening forms a strong safety net that protects women at every stage of life.
The HPV vaccine works best when given at younger ages, typically between 11 and 12, when the immune response is strongest and fewer doses are needed. Vaccinating both boys and girls before exposure to the virus provides long lasting protection not only against cervical cancer, but against several other HPV related cancers as well.
What makes this moment especially hopeful is that the path forward is clear—the science is proven and the tools are effective. Each vaccination and screening brings us closer to a world where cervical cancer is rare rather than routine.
A future without cervical cancer is no longer a distant goal. It is within reach. The success of the HPV vaccine and the power of screening reminds us what is possible when prevention is prioritized. By continuing to educate, vaccinate, and screen, we can ensure that cervical cancer becomes a disease of the past, leaving future generations a healthier, safer world.