How to prevent cervical cancer

Screening tests
The risk of developing cervical cancer can be significantly reduced if the following two screening tests are done on a regular basis:

• The Pap test (or Pap smear): This test looks at precancerous cell changes on the cervix that may develop into cervical cancer, if no appropriate treatment is given. You should start getting regular Pap smears from the age of 21. This is the most important

Cervical cancer: What you need to know

This refers to cancer (abnormal growth of cells) that forms in tissues of the cervix (the connection between the vagina and the womb). It is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms but can be detected early with Papanicolaou tests (a procedure where cells from the cervix are scraped and looked at under a microscope). Cervical cancer is almost always caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) infection.