January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. During this time, health authorities and organizations focus on prevention and early detection.
The goal is to reduce the risk of disease before it progresses. Cervical cancer can develop without obvious warning signs, making prevention a key factor.
The role of screening
One of the most important preventive measures is screening.
Women within a defined age range should undergo regular cervical screening, during which a cell sample is taken from the cervix by a doctor or gynecologist.
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The purpose of screening is to detect abnormal cell changes at an early stage. Health experts emphasize that these changes rarely cause symptoms.
Without screening, many people would therefore not discover them in time, allowing the disease to develop unnoticed.
What is HPV?
A major cause of cervical cancer is HPV, the human papillomavirus.
Medical sources explain that there are many types of HPV. Most are harmless, but a small number can, in rare cases, lead to cancer.
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HPV is transmitted through sexual contact. Condom use does not provide full protection, as the virus can also be passed on through skin-to-skin contact around the genital area.
For this reason, HPV vaccination has been introduced in many countries as part of routine immunization programs.
Why prevention matters
Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, with approximately 660,000 new cases and about 350,000 deaths recorded in 2022, according to WHO.
Vaccination significantly lowers the risk of cervical cancer, but it does not eliminate it entirely.
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Medical experts therefore stress that vaccinated women should still take part in regular screening.
It is the combination of vaccination and screening that plays a crucial role in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer.
Sources: Netdoktor.dk, WHO and cancer.dk.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.