Cervical cancer can be prevented: Get screened!
Cervical cancer is preventable. Women can take action by getting screened regularly, starting at age 21. Early detection makes a big difference—it can save lives.
Most cervical cancers are caused by HPV, a very common virus spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Many women will have HPV at some point, but most won’t even know it. For some, HPV can lead to cervical cancer.
Screening for cervical cancer is easy
The two main tests to screen for cervical cancer are the Pap test (also known as Pap smear) and the HPV test. They help find cervical cancer early or even stop it before it starts.
If your Pap test results are abnormal, it’s usually not cancer. Most often, it means HPV has caused changes in your cervical cells that need a closer look.
Call to schedule a screening:
Denver Harbor Family Health Center: 713-674-3326
Airline Children & Women’s Health Center: 713-695-4013.
What is a Pap test or Pap smear?
A Pap test checks for changes in the cells of a woman’s cervix that could be caused by HPV or early signs of cervical cancer. During the test, a doctor gently collects a small sample of cells from the cervix. It’s quick, and while it might feel a little uncomfortable, it shouldn’t be painful. Regular Pap tests are the best way to catch problems early when they’re easier to treat.
What is an HPV test?
An HPV test checks for the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer in women. This test is often done at the same time as a Pap test using the same cell sample. An HPV test can identify high-risk types of HPV before they cause problems, helping doctors take action to prevent cervical cancer.
HPV Vaccine can lower the risk of cervical cancer
Women can also lower their risk with the HPV vaccine. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cervical cancer. It’s a safe and effective way to protect your health.
Your health matters! Be proactive and prevent cervical cancer!
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable types of cancer. Yet, each year, about 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 die from it. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Early detection and prevention can stop it before it becomes serious and life-threatening.
Call to schedule your screening!
Evening appointments are available at both locations.
Airline Children & Women’s Health Center
713-695-4013
Denver Harbor Family Health Center
713-674-3326
You’re always welcome at Vecino Health Centers
No matter your income and regardless of whether or not you have health insurance, you and your family members are always welcome at Denver Harbor Family Health Center and Airline Children & Women’s Health Center.
No insurance? You can still get affordable health care.
If you don’t have health insurance, you can still afford to see a doctor.
We’ll help you find support. You may qualify for other insurance or programs. We will help you understand what’s available to you.
If you don’t qualify for other insurance or programs, that’s okay. We offer services on a sliding fee scale. That means:
- You pay what you can, based on your income and family size.
- You can still come in for regular checkups, preventive care and treatment when you’re sick — with confidence that you can afford the care you need.
Women’s health is where community health begins
At Vecino, a cervical cancer screening is never just one appointment. Through our Healthy Women → Healthy Families initiative, your care is connected — women’s health, maternity care, behavioral health, and care for everyone else in your family, from one team that knows you. When a woman in northeast Houston gets the care she needs, her whole family and her whole neighborhood are healthier for it. That’s the work we’ve committed to.