Cervical cancer: Disease prevention and informational support

Cervical cancer and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) are significant health care concerns for women worldwide. Globally, in 2006, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer in women. Infection with high-risk strains of HPV is found to be present in approximately 99% of cervical cancer cases. The Supportive Care Framework developed by Fitch (2008) will serve as a guide to the paper. The need for informational support and disease prevention initiatives will be explored. Knowledge and awareness of HPV and its link to cervical cancer amongst the general population are low. Once women are made aware of the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, they want more information on disease prevention, transmission, detection, treatment information, symptoms and risk for developing cancer. Evidence-based nursing interventions that focus on meeting the informational needs of women and increasing awareness of HPV and cervical cancer will be proposed. Information on HPV-prophylactic vaccines and Papanicolaou (PAP) screening as primary and secondary disease prevention strategies will be discussed.