HPV Test Blog Tour

Just last month one of my closest friends was visiting and he told me his mother had recently been diagnosed with Cervical Cancer.  Thankfully, it was only stage one, and her outlook is fairly good. But she was a long road ahead of her, and its been hard on the whole family.  Things could have been much more serious if it hadn't been caught as quickly as it was.  But for many of us, we can avoid this risk altogether.  All we have to take the HPV test.

Cervical cancer is caused by a the human papillomavirus. It is a common virus that infects the skin 
and mucous membranes. Most of the time the infection can be fought by our immune systems. But occasionally it leads to cervical disease which can than develop into cervical cancer.  For young woman and girls between 9-26, there is now a vaccine that can protect them from the virus altogether. But for woman over 30, like myself, its too late for the shot. But its not to late too take action. If you get the HPV test at your next doctor's visit, it would detect cervical disease before it turns into cancer. Its such a simple step. It can be done at the same time as your pap smear so its hassle free. If it comes back normal it only has to be done every three years. And most importantly, it might just save your life.

If you would like to learn more about HPV testing, there is lots of free information available. Check out some of these resources below:

 
 HELPFUL WEB RESOURCES ON CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION

The HPV Test - Web site focuses on the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer through HPV screening and Pap testing. Site includes frequently-asked-questions, patient stories, and tips on “what your test results mean.”
o Follow us on Twitter: @HPVinformed
o Facebook page: http://bit.ly/HPVTestFB

The Yellow Umbrella – The Yellow Umbrella Organization is founded by cervical cancer survivor and “rocker” Christine Baze, who takes her music and story on the road to educate women about cancer prevention. Also, visit Christine’s Save The Hooch site to purchase a Yellow Umbrella make-up kit to raise money for cervical cancer prevention.

Healthy Woman - HealthyWomen is the nation’s leading independent health information source for women.
Recently listed as one of Forbes’ top 100 websites for women, healthywomen.org has resources on many women’s health issues, including comprehensive info on cervical and gynecologic cancers.

Pearls of Wisdom - The Pearl of Wisdom™ Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer is a global partnership to raise awareness of tools for preventing cervical cancer and advocate for making.



Take advantage of the information on these websites, and take the time to talk your doctor about the HPV test.  While you're at it, learn what you can about the vaccine for your daughters and grand daughters. If we all work together we can wipe out cervical cancer all together!



“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the QIAGEN digene HPV test. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”