San Juan Basin Public Health reminds young adults and parents that the HPV vaccine can prevent cancer.
Every year in the U.S., human papillomavirus causes 30,700 cancers in men and women, and each day, 33 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Vaccination is recommended for boys and girls ages 9 through 26. Even though it is ideal to get the HPV vaccine at age 11-12, it is highly effective in teens and young adults.
Having HPV puts a woman at increased risk for cervical cancer. Only regular Pap tests can detect abnormal changes in the cervix years before any cancer actually exists.
The health department’s Women’s Wellness Connection program provides free screenings for cervical and breast cancer for eligible women between ages 21-64 in Colorado.
Breast exams, Pap tests and pelvic exams are included. Referrals for free mammograms are available for women who qualify.
To schedule an appointment for a Well Woman Exam and for more information about the HPV series, call the health department’s Sexual Health Clinic at 335-2015.
For more information about the clinic, visit sjbpublichealth.org/sexualhealthclinic.
To learn more about the HPV vaccine, visit cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html.
