This news item expired on Sunday, January 31, 2021 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. According to the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry projections, 406 women were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, and 129 women died of cervical cancer in 2020 in North Carolina. However, with routine Pap and HPV (human papillomavirus) tests, precancers can be detected. There are vaccines that can protect people against HPV. Right now, vaccines are only used to prevent, not treat, an HPV infection.
For more information, see the CDC’s HPV Vaccine Page and Cervical Cancer Awareness Page.