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HPV Testing for Cervical Cancer

March 20, 2025

Written By Hanna Dada, Health Resource Navigator

If you have a cervix you need to hear this!

Screening for cervical cancer

Screening means checking for a disease in a group of people who don’t show any symptoms of the disease. Screening tests help find cervical cancer before any symptoms develop. When cervical cancer is found and treated early, the chances of successful treatment are better.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 100 different types of related viruses. It spreads by intimate skin-to-skin contact. An HPV test looks at a small sample of cells that have been collected and tests them for the high-risk types of HPV.

Advantages of HPV Testing:

  • More accurate (96% sensitivity vs. 53% for the Pap test);
  • 5 year testing interval (vs 3 year with pap) due to the highly consistent results
  • Better at identifying those at risk and more convenient to clients.

Eligibility criteria for cervical screening:

  • Are between 25 and 70 years old;
  • Have a cervix, regardless of gender identity;
  • Have been sexually active (including any genital contact with or without penetration);
  • Not presenting symptoms sometimes associated with cervical cancer;
  • Be insured by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

The cervix is part of a woman’s reproductive system and it is the lower part of the uterus and connects the uterus to the vagina. It is true that most cervical cancer are the results of an HPV infection, but having an HPV infection doesn’t mean that you will develop cervical cancer. While many different types of HPV can infect the cervix, only some of them cause abnormal changes to cells that may turn into cancer, and this mostly occurs in women younger than 50. Cervical cancer can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Cervical cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages, symptoms often only appear once the tumour grows into surrounding tissues and organs and this includes abnormal vaginal bleeding or/and abnormal pelvic pain.

For more information, talk to your health care provider. You can also visit Cancer Care Ontario’s website: https://tinyurl.com/59m7f44p.