Pap Smear is one of the best ways as a first line of defense to prevent cervical cancer. This screening method serves to detect cells in the cervix that could potentially be cancerous later.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you are advised to do the first Pap smear test at the age of 21, regardless of whether you have been sexually related or not. But, if your age is already more than 21 years, you are not too late to do this examination immediately.

You are advised to conduct a regular Pap smear exam once every three years (without any HPV test), for those aged 21-30 years old. For those of you who are over 30 years old, you are advised to do a Pap smear (accompanied by HPV test) every five years. Take routine Pap smear tests to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. Don't forget, consult your doctor before you decide to do this.

Another way that is not less important to prevent cervical cancer is to vaccinate HPV. If you are female and male between 9 to 26 years old, you are advised to get this vaccine.

Basically the most ideal HPV vaccine is given to those who are not yet sexually active. But, all adults who are sexually active and have never gotten this vaccine before, should immediately vaccinate.

Women who are already sexually active should conduct a Pap smear test first before obtaining an HPV vaccine. If the Pap smear results are normal, you can immediately get an HPV vaccine. However, if the Pap smear test is abnormal, the doctor will perform an advanced check-up for further diagnosis.

Although HPV vaccine can reduce the risk of cervical cancer, this vaccine does not guarantee that you are completely protected from cervical cancer. You are still advised to undergo healthy lifestyle and Pap smear regularly even if you have been vaccinated with HPV.

You can reduce the likelihood of developing cervical cancer by not smoking. Not smoking is another important way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. The reason, cigarette toxins are oxidative so that it can trigger cancer cells appear and get malignant.

More than 90 percent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV virus infection. The spread of this virus occurs through unsafe sexual intercourse, then use condoms when sexually related to reduce the risk of contracting HPV.

In addition, the risk of contracting HPV also increases when it is often a substitute for sexual partners. Women who have only one spouse can get infected with this virus if their partner has many other sexual partners.

In addition to performing a Pap smear to prevent cervical cancer, you should also maintain vaginal hygiene especially during menstruation and vaginal discharge. Using the femininity antiseptic fluid that contains povidone iodine you could possibly do to maintain the cleanliness of your vagina, especially when the period of "Red Day" or menstruation.