3
living
healthy
prevention
Cervical cancer screening
C
ervical cancer used to be
the leading cause of cancer
death for women in the
United States. But in the past
40 years, women are winning the
battle. We can thank regular Pap
tests for this decline. Doctors use
the Pap test, or cervical cancer test,
to nd precancerous cells.
e cervix mostly develops
cancer because of viruses. HPV
(human papillomavirus) is the main
cause. Another cause is HIV (the
virus that also causes AIDS). Other
causes of cervical cancer include
taking birth control pills for a long
time and having several sexual
partners. Women who have given
birth to more than three children
are also more at risk. More than
4,000 women in the United States
died from cervical cancer in 2013.
Who should get a cervical
cancer screening, and how
often?
Risk factors may a ect
when you should get a Pap test.
In general, women should be
screened:
Every one to three years between
the ages of 21 and 65 or
Every ve years between the ages
of 30 and 65 if they have both a Pap
test and an HPV test
If you had a hysterectomy or
are older than 65, ask your
doctor about the need for this
screening.
ere are now vaccinations for
HPV. ese vaccines are e ective
for young women, but you still
need a regular Pap test. Young men
can also get these vaccines. ey
protect both men and women from
HPV.
Reach out
to us online
Did you know there are many
things you can do from our
website? If you have access to
the Internet, you can:
See what your bene ts are
See what medications we
cover
Ask for a new Alliance ID
card
Look for a provider
Tell us you want to change
your Primary Care Provider
Tell us you’ve moved or have
a new phone number
File a complaint
Find a copy of the Member
Handbook/Evidence of
Coverage
Just go to
www.ccah
-alliance.org
and click on the
“Members” section. Pick your
health plan and then choose
from the menu of links on the
left.
