January is Cervical Cancer Prevention Month, and Alabama is making progress in the first ever statewide action plan to prevent and eliminate the disease. Operation WIPE OUT Cervical Cancer Alabama is an initiative that launched in May 2023 to help educate Alabamians about cervical cancer and prevent the illness through vaccines and screenings.
“Good news: Cervical cancer is preventable; we can actually eliminate cervical cancer. That's what Operation Wipe Out is about,” said Nancy Wright, director of the cancer prevention and control division at the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH).
Alabama is among states with one of the highest mortality rates for cervical cancer. To meet the goals of Operation WIPE OUT Cervical Cancer Alabama, ADPH is taking the following actions to advance its goals:
1) Providing free HPV immunizations through the Vaccines for Children Program at each county health department and various grant-funded vaccine for adults.
2) Providing free cervical cancer screenings for women who have a low income and are uninsured at each county health department.
3) Providing follow-up colposcopies at county health departments for women who need them.
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of most cervical cancers. To help prevent people in Alabama from getting the illness, Operation Wipe Out is encouraging parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated against HPV. Every child (both boys and girls) can get vaccinated as early as nine years old, but it is recommended that they receive the vaccine at ages 11 or 12 for protection against all types of cancers caused by HPV.
“Every health department in the state can provide that vaccination free of charge to boys and girls under the age of 19,” said Wright. “So really, every child should have access to that vaccination at no cost.”
Children can get vaccinated for not only HPV, but for other immunizations as well through the Vaccines for Children Program. VPC offers free vaccines for children with or without insurance.
In effort to eliminate cervical cancer in Alabama, Operation Wipe Out is encouraging Alabamians to get screened. Wright said people who have HPV are at larger risk for developing cervical cancer. She said getting screened is a key step to catching it early and getting treatment.
“There are no symptoms for the HPV virus, which is one of the reasons it's so dangerous. When you have pre-cancer or pre-cervical cancer, there's no symptoms,” said Wright. “So, I think that's one of the reasons it's so easy for people not to think of the vaccination or screening.”
Wright explained that for those who have been screened and have had abnormal results, the next step would be to make a follow up appointment with the appropriate doctor for further testing or receive treatment. She said although the percentage of people who have abnormal results are low, it is crucial that they make the follow up appointment to.
“For the women that ADPH has been able to screen for cervical cancer, we have found that 20% of them are positive. 20% of the women that we've screened do have the HPV virus, which means it can lead to pre-cancer or full invasive cervical cancer,” she said.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is currently no approved test for HPV in men. As a result, there is no recommended routine testing for HPV in men. Wright said the role for boys and men in eliminating cervical cancer is receiving the HPV vaccination as HPV can affect men. She said the virus also causes cancers of the head and neck, as well as penile and anal cancers. Wright explained that the HPV vaccine protects against these cancers as well.
For more information on Operation Wipe Out, HPV and for resources available, visit the Together for Health website and read the Operation Wipe Out brochure.
Additionally view the Alabama documentary regarding Operation Wipe Out named “Operation Wipe Out: Eliminating Cervical Cancer in Alabama” by clicking here.
