Dr. Oregon McDiarmid
Happy New Year! As we start the new year, it is a great opportunity to remember January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. And the most notable cervical health concern is cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of death in 20-39-year-old females (assigned female at birth), with an average of 13,000+ new cases of cervical cancer in the USA every year.
This month is a great moment to talk to your healthcare team about cervical cancer screenings and the steps you can take to prevent cervical cancer.
Looking back in history, we can see all the great advancements we have made for cervical health. In the early 1900s, there were alarming numbers of reproductive cancers causing death in young females, leading to extensive research into how and why these young deaths were occurring. In the 1920-1930s, Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou discovered cell changes that could accurately monitor and predict cancer. It was his technique and findings that led to the procedure we know today: the Pap smear.
The Pap smear is a procedure consisting of collecting small amounts of cells and looking for microscopic changes that could indicate the first signs of risk for cancer, which became a standard technique in cervical health screening by the 1940s.
Over the years, our understanding and protocol has greatly improved, and now we recognize the high prevalence of HPV (human papillomavirus) in the development of cell changes which can lead to cervical cancer. Through these tests and protocols, we have seen a dramatic increase in detecting cellular changes earlier on, implementing treatment plans, and seeing a decrease in cervical cancer overall.Today, we still use the Pap smear techniques that allow us to assess the risks of cervical cancers and preventative steps to avoid cancers from developing. Our current recommendation is to start screening at the age of 21 for everyone assigned female at birth, with ongoing screening and monitoring throughout life.
The Pap smear procedure is a very safe and simple procedure that can be done in the clinic during your routine annual physical. While the procedure is often called “painless,” it is important to know that the procedure does involve swabbing the cervix, which can cause pressure, cramping and light bleeding for some people. While a vast majority of people tolerate this procedure without concern, many describe it as a “mini-period” for the procedure and a few days after.
Your provider will be more than happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your care, including what to expect, what equipment is involved and how your results are interpreted. Typically, the results of these tests come back within one week, and so long as there are no concerns, it typically means you may not need to have the procedure again for three to five years.
Outside of the Pap smear, the HPV vaccine is another step you can take to decrease the chance of HPV leading to cervical changes and cancer. This vaccine is a two- or three-dose series, which prepares your immune system to fight off HPV.
We now know that HPV is one of the leading causes of cellular changes in the cervix, so preparing the body to fight down HPV has been shown to decrease the chance of cervical cancer.
It is also important to note that this vaccine is recommended for males (assigned male at birth) as well, which can help decrease the spread of HPV. The HPV vaccine is readily available and typically covered by most insurance plans. For those without insurance, our financial navigation teams here at Prism Health North Texas can help you understand your options and costs for receiving care.
With the start of the new year, it is a great time to talk with your healthcare team about cervical health. Whether that is making sure you are up-to-date on your Pap smear or discussing the HPV vaccine to see if you would be a good candidate, we can all do our part in making cervical cancer prevention a priority in 2026!
Dr. Oregon McDiarmid is a physician based at Prism Health North Texas’ South Dallas Health Center. Learn more about Prism Health North Texas or make an appointment at PHNTX.org.