Digene HPV Test, STD Awareness Month, Cervical Cancer and A Blog Contest
May 5, 2008 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Where has the month of April gone? Time really does fly.
April was STD Awareness Month and it is better late than never to mention it here,just now.
To kick off the month of April, I am running a contest wherein 2 winners will each win a “Take The Test” HPV Awareness Bracelet.
Contest Mechanics:
- Leave a comment to this post until 1159 PM (GMT+8) on May 16, 2008. 1 unique commenter = 1 contest entry which i will raffle from a “hat”, the old-fashioned way.
- Winners (2) will be announced the next day (May 17, 2008) in a blog post. The winners will than have to drop me a line at gloria.g@b5media.com within 24 hours. Else, I will be drawing a new winner.
- This contest is open to all readers of this blog, wherever you may be in the world.
It’s that easy. You guys have a say about anything cancer, cervical cancer, HPV, STD Awareness Month or simply that you want the “Take The Test” HPV Awareness Bracelet.
This contest is brought to us by The Digene HPV Test — the only test for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) approved by the FDA. The HPV test is more sensitive than the Pap Smear alone in detecting cervical cancer.
Some facts I lifted from the HPV Test fact sheet (word document) sent to me by Anna Brew (thanks Anna!)
- The Digene HPV Test is based on proprietary Hybrid Capture® technology, which combines two innovations from the rapidly evolving field of life sciences – DNA/RNA probes and monoclonal antibodies – to allow rapid, standardized gene testing in virtually any lab setting.
- By combining the HPV and Pap tests, the ability to identify women at risk for cervical cancer is increased to virtually 100 percent.
- In 2003, the FDA approved the Digene HPV Test for cervical cancer screening, in conjunction with a Pap, in women age 30 and older.
- Use of HPV testing for routine screening is recognized in guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Cancer Society and the American Medical Women’s Association.
- The majority of insurance companies cover the HPV test for routine screening.
Highlighting is solely mine in the above. It has been emphasized so many times hoe screening and early detection of any cancer is critical in treatment and survival. The earlier a cancer is detected, the higher the rate of successful treatment and patient survival.
Cervical cancer is deadly. But it can be detected early if women will submit themselves to regular screening. Nothing should stop us if a screening method is available to us. Most importantly, don’t miss any appointment with your Ob-Gyne.
Your thoughts? Put them in the comment section below. Happy Monday, guys! 
You are right- this is very important. Women need to take it upon themselves to be aware. Let’s be empowered together! Great contest Gloria
I asked my doctor to test me for HPV. I don’t know if it was the same test you mentioned or not though. I don’t think she would have brought it up if I hadn’t though. That kind of concerns me.
What they really need is a way to test men to see if they have it.
Great contest, Gloria!
Cervical cancer (any kind of cancer for that matter) scares the crap out of me. The ‘big girl’ in me knows what to do (regular check ups and all that jazz), but the ‘little girl’ in me just wishes we lived in an illness-free world. *sigh*
hey there ladies! thanks a lot for your comments already.
alicia: i am scared too. but i guess being scared should not stop us from living a healthy sexual lives. yes, we do the works, nothing is free after all.
but it pays to do everything correctly!
Hey Gloria! I found your blog through fertility notes and am posting a GIANT response there. Having recently dealt with HPV (they *think*?!?!?) I’m still full of emotion and unanswered questions on the subject. Any recommendations on where to find more information?
I am a Stage 3B Cervical Cancer Survivor. I created a blog in an effort to raise Cervical Cancer Awareness http://www.cancerlost.blogspot.com. I was 28 when I was diagnosed with advanced Cervical Cancer and my story is a long, painful & inspiring one. Cervical Cancer is not talked about but it touches the lives of every single woman out there. We need to start talking about this cancer because it is not rare and it does kill.
http://www.cancerlost.blogspot.com
I am a Stage 3B Cervical Cancer Survivor. I created a blog in an effort to raise Cervical Cancer Awareness http://www.cancerlost.blogspspot.com. I was 28 when I was diagnosed with advanced Cervical Cancer and my story is a long, painful & inspiring one. Cervical Cancer is not talked about but it touches the lives of every single woman out there. We need to start talking about this cancer because it is not rare and it does kill.
http://www.cancerlost.blogspot.com