the Cancer Plan
Cervical Cancer
In South Carolina, approximately 195 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 68 die from the disease each year.
Three major strategies to help eliminate cervical cancer are to make routine screenings readily accessible to women of all ages, promote adherence to follow-up exams, and promote the use of HPV vaccines among those eligible.
While regular participation in cervical cancer screening tests has drastically reduced the rate of new cervical cancer cases and deaths, these rates remain significantly higher in Black and Hispanic women compared to White women.
Cervical cancer is curable if discovered early and can be detected by a Pap test. It is recommended that women between the ages of 21-65 receive a Pap test every three years, while women between the ages of 30-65 who want to prolong the screening interval should receive both a Pap test and HPV test every five years.
