👉Get routine Pap tests.

Pap tests enable doctors to detect abnormalities — changes on the cells on your cervix — and take action before cervical cancer develops.

Women should have a Pap test at least once every three years, beginning at age 21.

Once you turn 30, we recommend pap smears every five years as long as you have HPV testing with your Pap and the results are negative.

👉Get vaccinated.

Two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil, are available to protect against the types of HPV that cause the most cervical cancers, as well as anal cancers in men.

👉Practice safe sex.

Studies have shown that women who have many sexual partners increase their risk of developing HPV and their risk of cervical cancer.

But while condoms help to lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, including cervical cancer, be aware that HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom, so condoms may not fully protect against HPV. That's why it's essential to get the HPV vaccine in addition to using condoms.

👉Quit smoking.

Smoking cigarettes doubles your risk of developing cervical cancer. Studies have shown that tobacco by-products damage the DNA of cervix cells and may contribute to the development of cervical cancer.

Sources -

https://www.rush.edu/news/preventing-cervical-cancer

Photo Credits -

https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/cervical-cancer-awareness-month-can-the-virus-be-transmitted-nonsexually-101642426298961-amp.html