• Online Scheduling | Careers

Gadsden Regional Medical Center
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Behavioral Health
        • Cancer Care
        • Critical Care Medicine
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Emergency Services
        • Heart Care
        • Maternity Care
        • Occupational Health Services
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Outpatient Services
        • Rehabilitation Services
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Stroke Care
        • Surgical Services
        • Women's Health
        • Wound Care
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • Cafeteria Information
              • Campus Map
              • DAISY Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Going Home
              • Health Library
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Portal
              • Request Medical Records
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Imaging Centers
                  • Affiliated Medical Practices
                  • Ambulatory Surgery Centers
                  • Other Locations
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Awards & Accreditations
                    • Careers
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Contact Us
                    • Newsroom
                    • Phone Directory
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Volunteer Opportunities
                      • (256) 494-4000
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Bill Pay
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Events
                      • Residency Program
                      • Contact
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        0 Min

                        About ER Wait Times
                      Home/About Us/Newsroom/January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: Preventing Cancer Starts with a Pap Test

                      Refine Results

                      About Us
                      Awards & Accreditations
                      Careers
                      Hospital Opportunities
                      Nursing Opportunities
                      Nursing Student Aide Program
                      Physician and Advanced Practitioner Opportunities
                      Family Medicine Residency
                      Community Benefits
                      Contact Us
                      Newsroom
                      E-Newsletter Sign Up
                      2024 News Releases
                      2023 News Releases
                      2022 News Releases
                      2021 News Releases
                      2020 News Releases
                      2019 News Releases
                      2018 News Releases
                      2017 News Releases
                      2016 News Releases
                      2015 News Releases
                      Phone Directory
                      Quality & Safety
                      ADA Accessibility Policy
                      Diversity Policy
                      Joint Commission Notice
                      Notice of Privacy Practices
                      Organized Health Care Arrangement Status
                      Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      Privacy Policy
                      Safety Improvement
                      Terms & Conditions
                      Volunteer Opportunities
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      Services
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Directions

                        Find Our Location
                      • Adopt Healthy Habits Today to Maintain Bone Strength as You Age

                        05.28.2025

                      • Gadsden Regional Medical Center Delivering Quality Care and More to Etowah County

                        04.10.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Nurse Opportunities

                        Nurse Opportunities

                        Explore current nurse opportunities.

                        Learn More
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: Preventing Cancer Starts with a Pap Test

                      1/22/2020

                      By: Mark Manning, M.D.

                      GADSDEN, AL, January 22, 2020—For busy women who typically put others’ needs before their own, remember that taking time to care for yourselves is important to good health. Regular well-woman exams are a simple and effective way to start.

                      The principal parts of a well-woman visit are a routine pelvic exam – which checks the uterus, ovaries and other organs to make sure they are healthy – and a Pap test, which screens for certain gynecological cancers. The Pap smear is the primary test for cervical cancer: once one of the most common causes of cancer death among women, today it is one of the easiest cancers to detect and prevent.

                      What is the Pap test?
                      The Pap test is used to detect cell changes in the cervix that may later develop into cancer. Because cervical cancer is slow-growing with few symptoms in the early stages, the Pap test is an effective tool in early detection. The Pap test collects a few cells from the cervix for examination under a microscope. The test is painless, and is usually performed during a pelvic exam. Regular Pap smears monitor any tissue changes in the cervix and can help diagnose problems early, when they are most treatable.

                      Who needs a Pap test?
                      The Pap test is recommended for all women. Women are advised to get their first Pap test at age 21. Once you’ve had your first Pap test, repeat Pap smears should follow these guidelines, issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):

                      • Women ages 21 to 30 should have a Pap test once every three years unless they have had an abnormal Pap test or have other risk factors.
                      • Women who have received the HPV vaccine should follow the same schedule and guidelines for Pap smears.
                      • Women age 30 and older who have had three consecutive negative tests – and no abnormal history or risk factors – should have repeat Pap tests once every three years.
                      • Women age 30 and older can also optionally be tested for cancer-causing types of HPV, at the same time as their Pap test. Because HPV diagnosed in women under age 30 is often cleared by the woman’s own immune system, routine HPV testing for younger women is not recommended.
                      • Women with certain risk factors may need to be screened more frequently as recommended by their doctor. These risk factors include HIV; a weakened immune system due to cancer, organ transplant or other illness; exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth; or a history of moderate to severe dysplasia (i.e., pre-cancerous cell growth on the cervix).
                      • Women age 65 and up who have had no abnormal Pap smears for 10 years, and three or more negative results, consecutively, may stop getting Pap tests, with the permission of their doctor.
                      • Women who do not have a cervix, including those whose cervix has been removed as part of a hysterectomy, do not need regular Pap tests.

                      Cervical cancer is most often diagnosed in women age 40 and older. It is important to continue getting a Pap test regularly – even if you think you are too old to have a child, or are not sexually active. It’s equally important to continue annual pelvic exams, regardless of the recommended frequency of Pap tests. Your pelvic exam and Pap test may be performed together, in the same wellness visit, or separately, depending on the frequency of Pap tests that your doctor recommends.

                      If you have questions about your risk for cervical cancer, recommendations regarding Pap test, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Manning, please contact Women’s Health Partners at 256-543-3977. You can also read more about Preventing Cervical Cancer by clicking “Health Library” from the Patients & Visitors menu.

                      ManningAbout the Author: Dr. Mark Manning is Member of the Medical Staff at Gadsden Regional Medical Center. He is an OB/GYN at Women’s Health Partner and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology.

                      Remember that this information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor, but rather to increase awareness and help equip patients with information and facilitate conversations with your physician that will benefit your health.

                      Back

                      Gadsden Regional Medical Center

                      • 1007 Goodyear Ave
                      • Gadsden, AL 35903
                      • P: (256) 494-4000
                      • F: (256) 494-4474

                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Behavioral Health
                      • Cancer Care
                      • Critical Care Medicine
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Heart Care
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Occupational Health Services
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Outpatient Services
                      • Rehabilitation Services
                      • Sleep Medicine
                      • Stroke Care
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Women's Health
                      • Wound Care

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • Cafeteria Information
                      • Campus Map
                      • DAISY Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Going Home
                      • Health Library
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Request Medical Records

                      About Us

                      • Awards & Accreditations
                      • Careers
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Contact Us
                      • Newsroom
                      • Phone Directory
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Volunteer Opportunities

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...