Cervical Cancer Awareness: Know Your Prevention Options

Happy and Healthy New Year! January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and this is a chance for women to start the year with healthy actions that can help prevent cervical cancer. Although cervical cancer occurs mostly in women over age 30, all women are at risk. The main cause of cervical cancer is long-lasting infections with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cervical cancer. Getting recommended screenings (Pap test, HPV test, or both) can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early by detecting HPV and cell changes on the cervix that might become cancer. Find out more with CDC's cervical cancer resources.