Can You Prevent Cervical Cancer?
Can You Prevent Cervical Cancer?
You may have heard about a new vaccine that can help prevent cervical
cancer. This is something that is marketed towards teenage girls in
the hopes that they will not develop some types of this cancer. You
may not think you are at risk, but even older women can have problems
with this. At times, it can be deadly, or at the very least, it can
cost a woman the opportunity to have a baby of her own. The vaccine is
helpful, but it is not the only way that a woman can try to prevent
getting cervical cancer. The answer is to do a few important things
and to start young. If you have daughters, help them make the right
choices.
The vaccine on the market can help prevent cervical cancer, but you
should know that it does not cover all types of cancer of the cervix.
Unfortunately, there are a few different ones and the vaccine is known
to work with only one or two of these types. That means it is not
always 100 percent helpful, but it can be for some girls. As a parent,
it is a good idea to research this vaccine and talk with the doctor
about it. In some cases, and ounce of prevention is the key, but not
always. It certainly can not hurt to have the vaccination if it has
been proven safe.
Some parents do not want to allow their daughters to get this vaccine
that can prevent cervical cancer in some girls. They feel that if
their daughters have this shot, they will feel protected and will not
get the right type of medical attention. There is some truth to this,
that is why it is important to discuss the power and the limitations
of such a shot. While it can help, routine pap smears are still
essential to good health. As stated, this shot only works with one or
two types of cervical cancer, which means pap smears are important to
check for the other types. If girls understand this and parents take
them to appointments when needed, this problem can be eliminated.
If the shot is not something that parents choose for their daughters,
routine pap smears become even more important in an effort to prevent
cervical cancer. These appointments should be kept each year and
follow up is important. Many times a result of ‘irregular cells’ may
come up – which can indicate cervical cancer. However, that is not
always the case. When this happens, a medication is prescribed and a
follow up is necessary. For most girls, the follow up with come up
clean and there will be no more problems. If cancer is a possibility,
it is important to know it and get quick treatment to better the
chances of survival.
There is no way to totally prevent cervical cancer, but you can do all
that you can to lower your chances. This means routine medical care,
the vaccination if appropriate, and taking any abnormalities very
seriously. Some women still get cancer and have to go through
treatment and there may never be anything that can be done about that.
However, taking your health seriously can mean something is caught
early and treated effectively. Cervical cancer is different from other
types, so learning about it can go a long way towards preventing
cervical cancer for some girls and women.