The disease is cervical cancer, and unlike with most types of cancer, there are effective screening tests to prevent it: Pap tests, to detect abnormal cervical cells, and tests for the high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes most cases. There's also the ability to remove precancerous tissue, as well as a vaccine that offers nearly 100% protection against the HPV infections that cause cervical cancer, which has been available for the past 17 years.
"This is the one cancer we can prevent," says Denise Howard, M.D., chief of obstetrics and gynecology at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in New York City. "We have all these tools, but our numbers have stayed the same when they should be dropping. At this point, cervical cancer should be a 'never' event."
In fact, rates of cervical cancer have stubbornly stagnated in the U.S. after tumbling steadily from the 1970s until about 11 years ago. In 2012, overall rates started to plateau, says research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, except for women ages 30 to 34, for whom rates started to shift upward that year and have ticked up by 3% every year since. And no one really knows why.
One thing is clear in many cases of the disease: "Women are getting cervical cancer because they are falling through the cracks in our health care system," Dr. Howard says. Kate Weissman, 38, is one example. When she got the call telling her she had cervical cancer eight years ago, "I collapsed on the floor, sobbing," she says. "I remember thinking, I'm not ready to die."
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2023 من Prevention US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2023 من Prevention US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Ease Your Allergies - These holistic remedies may provide relief from seasonal symptoms.
For people with seasonal allergies, sniffling and sneezing are just the tip of the drippy, itchy iceberg. And symptoms can range from mildly annoying to truly debilitating.Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever, are allergic reactions to airborne allergens like pollen and mold spores, says Katie Marks-Cogan, M.D., an allergist at Clear Allergy in Culver City, CA. Normally harmless, certain allergens can prompt an immune response in some people, leading to itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; runny nose; congestion; coughing; and shortness of breath.
Mammogram Confusion, Solved! - It's the rare woman who doesn't vividly remember certain firsts
It's her first period, first bra, first use of a tampon, first kiss, and, yes, first mammogram. But for most women, the age at which they should get that first screening test has changed. Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new breast cancer screening guidelines suggesting that women get a mammogram every two years starting at age 40.
5 Myths About Arthritis- Creaky joints are a pain, but some facts” about them are pretty twisted.
Arthritis isn't the only culprit when it comes to achy joints. Infection, injury, bursitis (swelling of the fluid-filled pads that cushion the joints), and tendinitis (inflammation of the tendons that attach muscle to bone) are all reasons they might hurt, says Kirsten Ambrose, M.S., associate director of the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center. Joint pain is also a symptom of autoimmune diseases like lupus and Hashimoto's disease. So how can you tell if it's osteoarthritis? Get it checked. To diagnose arthritis, doctors typically rely on a patient's history (family background, injuries, and symptoms); a physical exam (looking for bony enlargements or swelling); or imaging like an X-ray or an MRI, Ambrose says. Blood test can show markers of inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout. If it is osteoarthritis, over-the-counter pain medication, physical therapy, and general movement can ease symptoms.
What's Up With...Smelly Gas - You can blame it on the dog, but it happens to everyone.
The average person toots around 14 times a day-it's how your body releases the extra gas that accumulates when you swallow air and digest food, says Shilpa Ravella, M.D., author of A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet, and Disease. If you chew gum or smoke, you'll have even more gas buildup, she adds.
WHAT'S UP WITH ...EARWORMS
When a song gets stuck in your head, here's how to shake it off.
A Solo Trip at 55 Boosted My Confidence
When I retired, a big, beautiful world opened up to me.
NUTRITION for Healthy Breasts
YOU KNOW THAT EATING MORE CALORIES THAN YOU BURN can cause your body to accumulate fat.
Make Your BREAST GUESS
No.two breasts not even your own!) are identical in shape, size, or feel. But it’s important to pay attention to what makes each one of yours unique so you can spot peculiarities early and start conversations with your health care providers if need be. Consider this your friendly guide to what changes to expect through the years and. what to do if something feels or looks unusual so you can take steps toward better breast health.
come as you are
We all deserve quality health care, but people in bigger bodies are often shut out. That's why some providers have worked out a new approach that aims to treat the person actually sitting in their exam room rather than the one they would be if only they lost weight.
WALK AWAY PAIN
One of the best things you can do to ease joint and back pain and ward off future ouches is so very simple: JUST TAKE IT STEP BY STEP.
