CHENANGO COUNTY – More than 4,000 U.S. women die from cervical cancer every year. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide.

The cause of most cervical cancers is attributed to the human papillomavirus (HPV). 93 percent of these cancers could be prevented with the use of screening by Pap test and use of the HPV vaccine.

A recent study with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed evidence that the HPV vaccine is also reducing cervical pre-cancers. The reduction in cervical pre-cancers occurred in women who had been vaccinated, and also those who were unvaccinated, offering consideration for herd immunity in the community.