Cervical cancer screening

-Automatic translation

The HPV infection is the cause of cervical cancer in 99% of cases, and the virus is sexually transmitted. Women often become infected with the virus at the ages of 20-30. Most women do not experience symptoms of infection and overcome it in less than two years. However, around 10-15% of women develop chronic infections, which can cause abnormal cells in the cervix over time. The only way to know if an infection has occurred is to be screened regularly with a cervical smear. Screening is not recommended for women who have had a complete hysterectomy as they do not have a cervix.

Vaccination

Vaccinations against the HPV began in 2011. Girls born in 1998 and 1999 were the first to be vaccinated, but in the beginning, the vaccination only applied to 12-year-old girls to prevent the development of cervical cancer. From 2023, the HPV vaccination is part of the general vaccination schedule for all 12-year-olds, regardless of gender.

Vaccination is primarily preventive but does not cure diseases caused by HPV infection. A single dose provides considerable protection, and vaccinations in some countries are now targeted at one dose. In Iceland, information on the benefits of vaccination in reducing the spread of HPV infections is still emerging, and it has not been considered timely to reduce the dose from two to one.

Older individuals have the option of receiving the vaccine by prescription and by paying for it.

It is still essential to prevent the development of cancer while HPV is widespread in the community. Since vaccination does not provide complete protection against oncogenic HPV, women need to have regular cervical cancer screening with cervical smears for diagnosis of premalignant lesions or early cancer.

HPV primary screening

Significant developments have occurred with primary HPV screening in recent years, and many countries have introduced self-testing, which means that the woman takes the sample herself. The women who test positive for the HPV with these self-tests are then called in for further examination, but it is expected that about 15% of women test positive for the virus. The aim is to partially introduce self-testing in the coming years, which will be announced in due course.