Cervical Cancer Prevention
5/4/2012
According to the American Cancer Society, the most important risk factor for cervical cancer is infection with human papilloma virus (HPV). The good news for TRICARE beneficiaries is that a HPV vaccine is available and is covered by TRICARE.
You can help greatly reduce a TRICARE beneficiary’s chances of developing cervical cancer by recommending that she take the following steps:
Schedule Regular Pap Tests
Sixty percent of the cervical cancers currently diagnosed in the United States are in women who have never received a Pap test or who have not been tested in the past five years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that testing start within three years of becoming sexually active or at age 21, whichever comes first. Here are the American Cancer Society guidelines.
Get Vaccinated
The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls 11 or 12 years of age. Doctors can start the series in children as young as 9 years old, and can give catch-up vaccinations through 26 years of age for those who haven’t completed the vaccine series.
A great resource for TRICARE providers is the Cervical Cancer Screening Toolkit. For more information, please refer to the HEDIS toolkit at TriWest.com/Provider.