Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc. Offers Host of Reproductive Health Care Services
Mrs. J came into our center for a routine Pap smear. Married for 20 years and having no history of abnormal Pap tests, she expected to have a normal result. She was shocked to learn that she had an abnormal Pap and a sexually transmitted disease called HPV. Mrs. J didn’t have insurance and was very worried about the cost of the additional tests she needed. Thankfully she qualified for free exams, a Pap test and the colposcopy she needed to evaluate her abnormal Pap.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the number one sexually transmitted disease. There are 40 types, divided into “low risk” (wart causing) and “high risk” (cancer causing types 6,11,16,18). The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimates 80 percent of women will have a HPV infection in their lifetime. An infection with the HPV virus is needed for cervical cancer — a potentially life-threatening condition—to happen. There are no symptoms. You can contract it and have the effects appear years later.
Gardasil is a vaccine that helps protect against HPV types 6,11,16 and 18. It is best given before contact with these viruses, and is recommended for girls and women nine to 26 years of age. The Gardasil vaccine is available at our health centers at no cost (if eligible) and less than 18 years old.
The Pap is responsible for a 70 percent reduction in cervical cancer deaths, making it the most successful screening test in the history of medicine. The Pap detects precancerous changes in the cervix that can be removed before cancer develops. If the Pap is abnormal, a HPV test is automatically done. The newer liquid cytology ‘thin prep’ Pap test detects 85 to 95 percent of abnormalities. SDFHC utilizes the newer ‘thin prep’ test.
If your Pap is abnormal, the next step is a colposcopy, a painless test whereby the cervix is magnified and dye allows the doctor to see abnormalities. Biopsy and treatment are possible at the time of the exam. Colposcopies define HPV changes and precancerous changes. We perform colposcopies at the Val Verde Health Center at no cost for those who qualify.
Michael Gales is a physician’s assistant at Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc.
Ruben Hernandez, MD, is medical director of Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc.
Eligibility restrictions do apply.
For more information, call Canyon Country Health Center at 661-424-1220, Newhall Health Center at 661-291-1777 or Val Verde Health Center at 661-257-4008.