Cervical cancer is a preventable cancer in our world today. Women should know the causes of cervical cancer and the signs and symptoms to look for. The Pap test is the test that can detect cervical cancer. This is a cancer where age doesn't really matter. Most women are going through menopause when this cancer occurs. This cancer does not care about age because it affects younger women. “Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women worldwide” (Adegoke, Kulasingam, & Virnig, 2012). There are several aspects of cervical cancer that women need information about. They must first know the risk factors and types of cervical cancer. They should also know what screenings they should have and what treatments are available when a positive screen is diagnosed. Some of the risk factors are abnormal Pap smear, HPV infection, smoking, low SES, obesity, long-term use of oral contraceptive, and becoming sexually active at an early age. An abnormal Pap smear is one of the first signs that a woman has something wrong. Women should make sure they consult their gynecologist. The strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer can be 16, 18, 31, and 45. The strains can come from unprotected sex or from a young person having sex with multiple people. “Early stage cervical cancer rarely produces symptoms. If symptoms are present, they may go unnoticed as a thin, watery vaginal discharge often seen after sex or douching. When symptoms such as discharge, irregular bleeding, or pain or bleeding after sex appear, the disease may be advanced. Advanced disease should not occur if all women have access to and benefit from gynecological care. Middle of paper......Wilkins.Frazier, MS and Drymkowski, JW (2013). Essential elements of human diseases and conditions. (5th ed., pp. 630-632). St. Louis Missouri: Elsevier Saunders. Nelson, W., Moser, R.P., Gaffey, A., & Waldron, W. (2009). Adherence to cervical cancer screening guidelines for women aged 25 to 64 years: Data from the 2005 National Health Information Trends Survey (Indexes). Journal of Women's Health, 18(11), 1759-1768. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2009.1430Cooper, CPP, Polonec, L., and Gelb, CA (2011). Women's knowledge and awareness of gynecological cancer: a multi-site qualitative study in the United States. Journal of Women's Health, 20(4), 517-524. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2011.2765Adegoke, O., Kulasingam, S., and Virnig, B. (2012). Cervical cancer trends in the United States: a 35-year population-based analysis. Journal of Women's Health, 21(10), 1031-1037. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2011.3385