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any unusual discharge from the vagina (not your normal period)
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blood spots or light bleeding other than your normal period
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bleeding or pain after sex, douching, or after a pelvic exam
These symptoms do not mean that you have cancer. They can be caused by something else, but you must check with your health care provider.
The Pap test can find changes in the cervix that can be treated before they become cancer and also is very effective in finding cervical cancer early, when it is highly curable.
The Pap test can find changes in the cells of the cervix caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). While there is no cure for HPV, the abnormal cell growth they cause can be treated.
Condoms (rubbers) may protect against HPV when they are used correctly, and it is important to use them because they do protect against AIDS and other sexual diseases.
There are now two vaccines (Gardasil® and Cervarix®) that can protect people against certain types of HPV. These vaccines are only used to prevent, not treat, an HPV infection.
- Cervarix is approved for use in girls and young women ages 10 to 25 years.
- On 12/22/10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil for the prevention of anal cancer and associated precancerous lesions due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in people ages 9 through 26 years. Gardasil is already approved for the same age population for the prevention of cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancer and the associated precancerous lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in females. It is also approved for the prevention of genital warts caused by types 6 and 11 in both males and females.
For more details about the vaccines and HPV, including vaccine recommendations, please see the American Cancer Society document, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Cancer, and HPV Vaccines: Frequently Asked Questions.
Discuss the HPV vaccine with your health care provider.
For the American Cancer Society early detection guidelines click here.