 Hi, I'm Dr. Linsen Tixera, consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, women and child centre, KMC hospitals, Mangalore. Today I will be talking about cancer cervix. How to prevent cancer cervix? What is cancer cervix? Cancer cervix is the cancer of the cervix which is a part of the female genital tract. This is a slow growing cancer which can be detected very early. But the sad part is it is detected very late in India and that is why we have around 60,000 women dying in the year 2018 and it is almost around 25% of the disease burden in the world. And cancer cervix forms the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women in India. So coming to how this cancer cervix is caused. Cancer cervix is caused most commonly because of infection by a virus called human papilloma virus which affects almost 80% of women in the sexually active age group. Not all women infected with HPV virus have cancer cervix. There are certain strains of HPV which can turn the cells of the cervix into cancer. The good news for us is that cancer cervix can be detected early and that is why we have screening tests and as well as vaccine available to prevent cancer cervix. I will be talking about screening of cancer cervix. How do we screen? We have a test called pap test which has to be done in women after the age of 21 years or after they are sexually active. This test is done once in 3 years in women from 21 to 29 years and beyond 30 years of age women are offered pap test alone once in 3 years or pap test along with HPV test which is called co-testing which is done once in 5 years or else if they want they can do a HPV test once in 5 years. And for women more than 65 years pap test is not advised until and unless they have a history of a cancer cervix or they have not undergone any pap test previously. Coming to the HPV vaccine which is available this can be used very early in women and that way prevent the HPV infection especially the cancer forming strains of HPV. HPV vaccine is available in a biovalent, quadrivalent and a nanovalent form. This vaccine is given to girls between the age of 9 to 26 or any woman who is sexually active if she has not received HPV vaccination earlier she also can receive the HPV vaccine. HPV vaccine given to women once they are sexually active prevents genital warts but it does not prevent formation of cancer in these women. How do we give this HPV vaccine? We give HPV vaccine in 2 doses if the girl is receiving vaccination below the age of 15 years that is 0 and second dose after 6 to 12 months. And if the girl is receiving HPV vaccination after 15 years of age then we have to give her 3 doses 0, 1 to 2 that is 1 to 2 months after the first dose and the third dose after 6 months of the first dose. So this way we can prevent ca cervix from forming and that way we can detect any abnormalities or displace you of the cervix which can prevent cancer in the future.