Cervical Cancer Screening in Michigan
Hi, thank you for coming back for the latest edition of Beyond Primary Care’s blog- Cervical Cancer Screening in Michigan. In Beyond Primary Care blogs we highlight healthcare news, advice for medical conditions, and how membership for care works! Beyond Primary Care is an insurance free, membership based family medicine clinic. Beyond Primary Care is the highest rated Direct Primary Care clinic serving patients in Ann Arbor and throughout Washtenaw, Livingston, and Wayne counties giving families and employers peace of mind about healthcare costs by providing affordable and accessible primary care services.
The primary purpose of the blog is to introduce healthy lifestyle concepts and answer common questions I receive from patients that I believe are important. I want to start discussions that will help educate, benefit, and improve your well-being.
In this blog post, we want to educate our patients and any prospective patients about:
Cervical Cancer Screening in Michigan
Cervical cancer is a cancer that occurs when individual cells in the cervix grow uncontrollably. The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. It is covered by a thin layer of tissue. The tissue is made up of cells. As the cells develop, the cells at the bottom layer slowly move to the surface of the cervix. During this process, some cells may become abnormal or damaged. Damaged cells grow differently. It is nearly always caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
The Human Papillomavirus
The Human Pappillomavirus… that’s a beast to type, HPV from here on out, has may different types, or strains- estimated at over 100. Many types labelled as ‘low risk’ commonly cause genital warts or even the common plantar wart. Other types of the virus are more like “crazy uncles” that are ‘high risk’ and have been linked to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, and penis. Some also can cause cancer of the head and neck.
How is HPV passed?
HPV is passed from person to person through sexual contact, but sexual intercourse is not required for infection to occur. Like many other sexually transmitted diseases, there often are no signs or symptoms of genital HPV infection. The infected person often is not aware that he or she has been infected. It is estimated that at least 75% of people who have sex will get some sort of genital HPV in their lifetime.
If HPV Positive, Does That Mean Cervical Cancer?
As mentioned above, 75% of people have some form of genital HPV. In the entire United States, there are just over 14,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed on an annual basis. In fact, many women with HPV will never have an abnormal pap smear. That being said, routine screening with your physician is the only way to follow changes to the cervix that could lead to cancer.
Cervical Cancer Risk Factors
Risk of cervical cancer is due to a number of factors, with the main risk being a women who has not had a screening exam done recently. Other risk factors include:
Not getting the HPV vaccine
Having a mother who took the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy in the early 1960s to prevent miscarriage
Having a weakened immune system (eg- HIV infection, organ transplant)
Those who have previously received a diagnosis of high-grade precancerous cervical lesion.
Cervical Cancer Screening
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend screening beginning at age 21. For females aged 21-29, cytology (just looking at the cells) alone is sufficient for screening. For females aged 30-64, screening can be completed with either cytology alone every three years or co-testing (HPV and cytology) every 5 years.
It is mentionable that the United States Preventative Task Force (USPTF), another major panel that develops evidence-based recommendations for clinical preventive services, is in agreeable with the ACOG recommendations.
Cervical Cancer Screening Tests
The Papanicolaou test, that’s a mouthful, Pap test from here on out, can be done in a doctor’s office or clinic. During the pap test, a doctor uses a plastic or metal instrument, called a speculum, to widen the vagina. This helps the doctor visualize the cervix as well as collect a few cells and mucous from the cervix and the area around it. The cells are then sent to a laboratory.
Why You Should Have Cervical Cancer Screening
At Beyond Primary Care, we encourage females to be proactive about their gynecological health and get screenings when possible. The Affordable Care Act (ie- Obamacare) requires that Medicare and all new private health insurance plans cover screening cervical cancer without any out-of-pocket expenses to patients. That means if you have health insurance, a cervical cancer exam may likely be covered as a preventative screening test. If it is not covered, or if you do not have health insurance, we have negotiated competitive cash rate for our members.
At Beyond Primary Care, Dr. O’Boyle has experience in female gynecologic health and routinely perform pap tests as part of wellness exams. Please contact Dr. O’Boyle directly with any questions or to schedule an appointment to discuss further.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for reading.
- Dr. Jeff O’Boyle with Beyond Primary Care
