Obstetrician/gynecologist Blair Tolar, M.D., reviews information about the HPV vaccine with a patient.

For more than 60 years, a Pap smear has been the screening method of choice for cervical cancer. New research suggests the human papillomavirus (HPV) test also may be significant.

“The HPV test and the Pap test are two very different tests,” said obstetrician/ gynecologist Blair Tolar, M.D. “We know that HPV testing is a better predictor of who will develop cervical disease, and Pap tests tell you what is going on today.”

Cervical cancer is caused by the HPV infection, which is spread through sexual contact.

“It is fairly common in younger women, but in most cases infection is brief and does not pose a health risk,” Dr. Tolar said. “Infection tends to be rarer and more persistent in older women, however, and infection later in life is increasingly recognized as a major risk factor for cervical cancer.”

Testing for HPV does not necessarily provide a great deal of information as a screening tool. The Pap smear reveals specific dangerous changes and abnormalities in women both with and without evidence of HPV.

Dr. Tolar said Pap testing with HPV remains a very effective cervical cancer screening tool as long as the American Cancer Society guidelines are followed.

The ACS recommends that all women begin having annual Pap test screening within three years of having vaginal intercourse, but no later than 30 years old.

Beginning at 30, women who have had three normal Pap tests in a row may choose to be screened every two to three years. Women older than 30 also can choose to have a Pap test and an HPV test. If both tests are negative, neither test should be repeated for at least three years.

To learn more about wcervical cancer, visit westernbaptist.com and click on the Online Cancer Resource Center.

The Women’s Center at Western Baptist Hospital brings a broad range of services together in one place. It offers breast diagnostic services, bone densitometry, abdominal ultrasound and laboratory services. Get more information and take a virtual tour online at westernbaptist.com or phone Baptist Health Line at (270) 575-2918.