WEBVTT 00:00.263 --> 00:04.013 ^(relaxing, optimistic music) 00:04.089 --> 00:05.689 - I would like to say to all women 00:05.689 --> 00:08.349 ^21 and over, that the Pap smear is very important 00:08.349 --> 00:10.593 ^just part of your routine health maintenance. 00:10.593 --> 00:12.666 ^If we continue on that every three year 00:12.666 --> 00:14.457 ^evaluation, everything's normal. 00:14.457 --> 00:16.043 ^That reassures us that would could be, 00:16.043 --> 00:18.319 you know, a process that could be 00:18.319 --> 00:20.554 life-threatening down the line. 00:20.554 --> 00:23.155 In my experience with my training, 00:23.155 --> 00:25.248 the patients that came in with advanced cervical cancer 00:25.248 --> 00:28.459 usually are the ones who have not been screened. 00:28.459 --> 00:30.126 Once you get into cervical cancer, 00:30.126 --> 00:31.793 that is a very serious process 00:31.793 --> 00:34.836 with an unfortunately high mortality. 00:34.836 --> 00:36.178 And with this screen, 00:36.178 --> 00:38.622 we can prevent from getting to that point. 00:38.622 --> 00:40.001 Now, it is possible 00:40.001 --> 00:42.032 for a young lady with her first Pap smear 00:42.032 --> 00:45.044 to have an abnormality that may be cervical cancer. 00:45.044 --> 00:47.729 That is an extremely unlikely and rare event. 00:47.729 --> 00:49.271 It's usually someone who's 00:49.271 --> 00:51.919 unfortunately falling through the cracks 00:51.919 --> 00:54.763 or just not adhered to the recommended screen. 00:54.763 --> 00:57.459 ^- It's really important to be screened 00:57.459 --> 01:00.183 ^and have wellness exams regularly. 01:00.183 --> 01:04.350 ^As a mother, I, probably like most military members, 01:05.154 --> 01:07.914 need to have them annually, as opposed to once 01:07.914 --> 01:09.578 every three years or so. 01:09.578 --> 01:12.147 But I'm not glad and grateful that the military 01:12.147 --> 01:15.480 requires us to be screened so frequently 01:16.065 --> 01:18.878 because it allows us to be accountable 01:18.878 --> 01:22.211 to not only ourselves, but our families. 01:22.954 --> 01:25.562 If something were to happen to me, 01:25.562 --> 01:29.387 I would want to have as much awareness, knowledge, 01:29.387 --> 01:32.637 and be given as much notice as possible 01:35.161 --> 01:37.677 to be able to try to take care of myself 01:37.677 --> 01:39.913 so that I'm there for my family. 01:39.913 --> 01:42.358 ^- You know, we start screening all women for cervical cancer 01:42.358 --> 01:44.158 ^at the age of 21, when they should have their first 01:44.158 --> 01:47.047 ^Pap smear, and that continues every three years 01:47.047 --> 01:48.266 ^until the age of 30. 01:48.266 --> 01:50.583 ^At the age of 30, we add another test to the Pap smear 01:50.583 --> 01:52.790 ^and that's testing for the HPV virus. 01:52.790 --> 01:55.518 That virus essentially causes all cervical cancer. 01:55.518 --> 01:58.284 So if we have a patient who has a normal Pap smear, 01:58.284 --> 02:00.367 and negative HPV testing, 02:00.493 --> 02:03.422 that screening can be pushed out to every five years. 02:03.422 --> 02:06.267 The HPV vaccine is available to all women 02:06.267 --> 02:07.382 starting from the age of 12, 02:07.382 --> 02:09.254 up until the age of 26. 02:09.254 --> 02:12.165 And we actually recommend that vaccination for men as well. 02:12.165 --> 02:16.332 It is effective against four strains of the HPV virus, 02:16.351 --> 02:19.806 two of which, 16 and 18, are believed to cause 02:19.806 --> 02:22.086 about 80 percent of cervical cancers. 02:22.086 --> 02:23.671 So this vaccine was designed to be 02:23.671 --> 02:25.704 a cancer-preventing vaccination. 02:25.704 --> 02:29.365 Cervical cancer is really a slowly-developing process, 02:29.365 --> 02:32.578 so we frequently see abnormal Pap smears 02:32.578 --> 02:34.775 and abnormal cells, but going from that point, 02:34.775 --> 02:37.176 the cancer can take quite some time. 02:37.176 --> 02:39.204 That allows us the opportunity to intervene 02:39.204 --> 02:42.256 with in-office procedures that can treat that 02:42.256 --> 02:45.466 and make it not an issue going forward in the future. 02:45.466 --> 02:49.633 ^- I value any testing or screening for cancer, period. 02:49.666 --> 02:52.307 ^It doesn't matter what type of cancer it is. 02:52.307 --> 02:54.907 ^This is one of those screenings that is 02:54.907 --> 02:56.740 ^very quick, very easy. 02:57.559 --> 03:01.642 Although, it can be uncomfortable having someone, 03:03.050 --> 03:07.217 perform the screening because it's such a quick time. 03:08.131 --> 03:12.298 The risk and reward, it's definitely worth every moment 03:13.752 --> 03:16.809 of that little bit of uncomfortableness. 03:16.809 --> 03:18.367 ^- We understand it's not a comfortable 03:18.367 --> 03:19.790 ^visit for a lady to have. 03:19.790 --> 03:20.883 ^Definitely very necessary. 03:20.883 --> 03:24.833 ^I think what we do to help it be a little more tolerable 03:24.833 --> 03:27.187 ^and pleasant, is that it starts with our front desk staff. 03:27.187 --> 03:29.058 We've got a really great team in the clinic. 03:29.058 --> 03:30.612 And from there, our medical assistance 03:30.612 --> 03:32.809 and our providers all understand that 03:32.809 --> 03:35.614 the benefit of it, I think, far outweighs 03:35.614 --> 03:37.560 the discomforts, because if we find an abnormality, 03:37.560 --> 03:40.816 we can often intervene long before we'd need 03:40.816 --> 03:43.578 more radical procedures in the future. 03:43.578 --> 03:45.118 I have a wife and two children at home 03:45.118 --> 03:48.861 so I understand how busy life can get for some moms. 03:48.861 --> 03:50.770 And not wanting to go to this 30 minute visit 03:50.770 --> 03:53.331 that's quite uncomfortable can be a challenge. 03:53.331 --> 03:55.162 One service we have at the hospital that can help 03:55.162 --> 03:57.442 is the Teddy Watch, which they can watch their children 03:57.442 --> 04:00.442 for any of the visits up until noon. 04:00.484 --> 04:02.651 But by doing this process, 04:02.957 --> 04:06.336 every three years, as long as everything is reassuring, 04:06.336 --> 04:08.122 allows us to have that piece of mind 04:08.122 --> 04:10.205 that nothing is abnormal. 04:10.443 --> 04:12.721 Or if we find abnormalities, then we can intervene 04:12.721 --> 04:14.874 and prevent us from being in a situation 04:14.874 --> 04:16.130 years down the line where 04:16.130 --> 04:18.248 you may not be around to take care of those little ones. 04:18.248 --> 04:20.607 ^- If you have an opportunity to take a Pap test, 04:20.607 --> 04:21.783 ^you definitely should. 04:21.783 --> 04:23.206 ^There's no reason not to, 04:23.206 --> 04:27.373 ^especially when we have the amenities right on base 04:29.269 --> 04:31.623 and we have these great doctors right here 04:31.623 --> 04:32.873 at Blanchfield. 04:34.835 --> 04:36.830 They make us feel comfortable here. 04:36.830 --> 04:38.747 I feel comfortable here 04:38.902 --> 04:42.152 like no other hospital or with no other 04:43.814 --> 04:46.022 medical personnel that I've ever been with. 04:46.022 --> 04:47.730 And I'm one of those people that, 04:47.730 --> 04:50.940 frankly, prefer to have female doctors over males, 04:50.940 --> 04:53.139 but here, the males I've encountered 04:53.139 --> 04:55.536 have made me feel 100 percent comfortable 04:55.536 --> 04:58.218 to be able to have a Pap test and so, 04:58.218 --> 05:00.051 I'm grateful for that. 05:01.477 --> 05:03.810 I just encourage everyone to 05:04.000 --> 05:07.588 find a doctor that they feel comfortable with 05:07.588 --> 05:09.171 and have a Pap test 05:09.377 --> 05:13.460 ^because it's what's best for you and your family.