Whether you use a traditional copper IUD or the plastic version that releases the hormone progestin, a recent international study shows that both types of intrauterine devices (IUDs) may lower a woman's risk of cervical cancer. The data was collected from 10 previously published studies comparing women with cervical cancer to women without the disease, as well as data from 16 HPV frequency Read more

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar If I was tested last year for HPV and it was negative, and this year I am positive and only had one sexual partner between the year, can I assume it was that person? Thanks! — Confused by HPV First of all, I’m so glad you asked this question, since human papillomavirus (HPV) is so common. This question is Read more

DIY isn't a term I like to associate with my health — I'm cool with a DIY manicure, but when it comes to something as important as screening for cancer I'm not doing it myself. After an online pharmacy in the UK launched new DIY pap smear tests that screen for cervical-cancer causing HPV, medical professionals are cautioning women against them. But the reasoning is a little counterintuitive. Read more

This story of courage comes from the OnSugar blog yoga off the mat. I'm afraid this is not going to be one of my funny, lighthearted blogs, although I hope it will have a happy ending. Recently I found out that one of my longtime students has been battling cancer for the last few years. We all have that one quintessential story of the amazing, sweet, nice, wonderful person who didn't deserve to Read more

There may be no need to feel guilty about putting off your annual trip to the gynecologist anymore! New guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists assert that healthy women should not get cervical cancer screening pap tests every year. Instead they encourage women to get the screening every two to three years. The medical group also recommends against getting a pap Read more

Time was, vagina was a word you didn't hear often, unlike the word penis. (Where did this come from — vagina phobia? Dislike of the actual word vagina?) Now, vaginas are having monologues, ads imagine boys having vaginas, and in this PSA for cervical cancer, a vagina has what film theorists call a "point of view." In film theory parlance, anything you see on the screen comes from one Read more