TAC Health & Employee Benefits Pool

More than 14,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year, but the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening. Cervical pre-cancers are diagnosed far more often than invasive cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells lining the cervix — in the lower part of the uterus known as the womb.

1. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with an estimated 604,000 new cases in 2020.
2. Studies have shown that the cancer can show up 10 years after exposure to HPV (human papilloma virus), which has become the most common sexually transmitted virus in the U.S.

Regular screening can prevent cervical cancer and save lives! The goal of cervical cancer screening is to detect the cancer early and when it is most treatable and curable.

There are two types of cervical cancer screening:

1. The pap test, which can detect changes in cervical cells that might turn into cancer later.
2. The HPV test, which can detect the virus that can cause cervix cell changes. This test can be done at the same time as the pap test; a different swab is used.

To learn more, check out the BCBSTX flyer on cervical cancer screenings.