Health Matters: A doctor dispels 5 common myths about cervical cancer

Myth: If you have HPV, you will probably get cervical cancer.

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Fact: HPV is very common. Most men and women will get this infection in their lifetime. 90% of them will clear the infection on their own in two years. The probability of getting cervical pre-cancer and cancer with HPV infection only increases in 10% of the patients who take longer than 2 years to clear the infection.

Myth: HPV isn’t that common and only promiscuous women get HPV.

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Fact: This infection is more common than other sexually transmitted diseases as it is also spread by intimate skin to skin contact. The more sexual partners the higher the risk of exposure. However, it is still possible for people in monogamous relationships to get infected.

Myth: Cervical cancer is hereditary.

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Fact: The most common type of cervical cancer is due to HPV infections – such as squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinoma. There are less than 5% of cervical cancers which are due to genetic reasons and hereditary, such as minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

Myth: If you don’t have any symptoms, that means that you don’t need to get screened.

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Fact: Screening aims to look and treat for pre-cancer of the cervix before it turns cancerous. Pre-cancer of the cervix has no symptoms and can be present years before cancer develops.

Myth: If a woman gets the HPV vaccine, she no longer needs to take a regular Pap or HPV test.

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Fact: The vaccine only protects against only up to 7 of the HPV types that can cause cancer. There are about 14 high-risk HPV types. Also, the efficacy of the vaccine is lower in patients who are older or have already been exposed to HPV before vaccination. All women, including those who are vaccinated, need regular screening with Pap smears and (if they are age 30 or older) a HPV test.