The introduction of Pap test screenings in the 1940s toppled cervical cancer as a leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women.
But 80 years later the data tell a vastly different story along racial and ethnic lines, with Black and Hispanic/Latino women leading in the worst outcomes.
Hispanic women rank first in incidents among all racial/ethnic groups andsecond in cervical cancer deaths behind Black women, who die from cervical cancer more than any other racial/ethnic group, and are 75% more likely to die from cervical cancer than white women.
Black women are also typically diagnosed at an advanced stage.
Researchers and experts point to barriers to care such assystemic racism, lack oftransportation, medical mistrust based on historical and contemporary racism, and a history ofgynecological abuse and obstetric racism against Black women as causes for these racial differences.
“At-home or self-collected HPV screening may address access to care gaps such as health care deserts, difficulty getting gynecologic appointments, or transportation or childcare challenges,” said Erin Kobetz-Kerman, Vice President for Health Promotion and Chief Wellbeing Officer, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Approximately90 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is spread through skin-to-skin contact during sex.
Tamika Felder, 24-year cervical cancer survivor and founder of Cervivor, Inc., said HPV stigma is a substantial barrier.
“I get it because I remember not wanting to share my story, but then I remember being told, ‘we see this all the time,’ but I wasn’t seeing the stories even though I worked in media,” Felder said.
Emerging research shows sharing personal health narratives helps reduce health-related stigma, which Felder says is a key factor in Black and Latino not getting life-saving HPV and cervical cancer screenings or sharing their stories.
And other bodies of research point to storytelling as a way to improve mental health and build community.
Reducing stigma, Felder said, is what drove her to be “strategic about expanding Cervivor’s footprint of Black and Brown peoples’ stories” withCervivor Noir and Cervivor Espanol.
“I am proud that we’ve created safe spaces for people to not only feel safe to share their stories, but to become patient advocates,” Felder said, who founded Cervivor.org to drive awareness about HPV and cervical cancer.
Unlike other cancers, cervical cancer is preventable with HPV and Pap smear screenings, addressing abnormal tests, and HPV vaccination.
HPV vaccination can prevent over 90 percent of the cancers that HPV causes such as vaginal, vulva, anal, and penile. Yet, in January the Trump administration reduced the number of HPV vaccine doses from three to one in its updated childhood immunization schedule guidelines.
Felder said that change in guidelines may cause an uptick in vaccinations due to hindrances to vaccination follow-up in the old schedule.
“One roadblock is misinformation because research has shown that youth are having sex at earlier ages, and that it is why it is important that we protect them at an earlier age with the HPV vaccine. But it is hard for some parents to grasp that children are having intercourse at an early age.” Felder said.
The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 13,000 new cervical cancer cases and 4,000 deaths in2026.
“I believe we can get to zero deaths from cervical cancer if we are all in on screening and vaccination,” Felder said.
Tips to Reduce Your Cervical Cancer Risk
(From the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
- Get regular cervical cancer screenings.
- Follow-up on abnormal tests.
- Get the HPV vaccine if you fall in the age range.
- Practice safe sex.
- Stop smoking.
- Maintain a healthy weight
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CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story did not adequately explain the difficulty some families have around understanding why children need early HPV vaccines.
