Amy Rodriguez didn’t learn she had cancer until it progressed to adenocarcinoma, the less prevalent of the two most common types of cervical cancer. While she had received routine Pap tests during regular gynecologist visits, Amy wasn’t screened for HPV (human papillomavirus), the most common sexually transmitted infection linked with 99% of cervical cancers.¹

Many physicians screen for cervical cancer by conducting either a Pap test or an HPV test. A Pap test detects cervical disease on the cervix, and an HPV test screens for the presence of the virus. But nearly 1-in-5 cancers (18.6%) are missed by HPV-alone* and 12.2% of cancers are missed by Pap alone.²

That’s why Pap+HPV Together™ is the preferred screening method for women aged 30 to 65, identifying more precancer than either test alone and missing far fewer cancers.^3,4

Today, having overcome a cancer that kills over 4,000 women each year, Amy has become a fierce advocate for cervical health.⁵ She encourages more women to talk to their doctors about cervical cancer screening and the tests that are best for them. She raises awareness about the benefits of HPV screening in addition to the Pap test to detect high-risk HPV, which can raise the risk for cervical cancer.⁶ 

So other women don’t have to experience what she went through, Amy promotes Pap+HPV Together, when appropriate. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that cervical disease screening should include:

• For women 21-29 years old, a Pap test every 3 years.⁴
• For women 30-65 years old, a Pap test with an HPV test (also known as co-testing) every 5 years.⁴

Thanks to cervical cancer survivors like Amy Rodriguez and women who speak up to their doctors about their cervical health, we’re on our way to preventing cervical cancer worldwide.

*A positive HPV screening result may lead to further evaluation with cytology and/or colposcopy.

References: 1. World Health Organization. Human papillomavirus (HPV). http://www.who.int/immunization/topics/hpv/en/. Updated September 3, 2010. Accessed January 10, 2018. 2. Blatt AJ, Kennedy R, Luff RD, Austin RM, Rabin DS. Comparison of cervical cancer screening results among 256,648 women in multiple clinical practices. Cancer Cytopathol. 2015;123(5):282-288 [Study included ThinPrep®, SurePath®, Hybrid Capture® 2 assay]. 3. Saslow D, Solomon D, Lawson HW, et al. American Cancer Society, American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and American Society for Clinical Pathology screening guidelines for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012; 62(3):147-172. 4. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Practice bulletin 131: Screening for cervical cancer. Obstet Gynecol. 2012;120(5):1222-1238. 5. American Cancer Society. Key Statirstics for Cervical Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Updated January 4, 2018. Accessed January 10, 2018. 6. National Cancer Institute. HPV and Cancer. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hpv-fact-sheet. Reviewed February 19, 2015. Accessed January 10, 2018.