Between 1992 and 1996, the incidence rate of cervical cancer in black women was 11.2 per 100,000. The incidence rate in white women during that period was 7.3 per 100,000. Between 1992 and 1996 the cervical cancer death rate in the U.S. declined by -2.1 percent annually. The main reason for this decline was the increased use of the Pap test a screening procedure that detects cervical abnormalities, as well as pre-cancerous cells, that may be treated before they become malignant. When cervical cancer is detected before it has spread, the five-year survival rate is 91 percent.
All women are at risk for developing cancer of the cervix.
Women who do not use barrier methods of birth control such as condoms. Women who have multiple sexual partners and multiple pregnancies. Women with a poor diet. Practicing safe sex helps prevent the spread of HPV, and can decrease the risk for developing cervical cancer. Have a yearly pelvic exam and Pap test to detect HPV infection and pre-cancerous or abnormal changes in the cervix whether you are sexually active or not.