WEBVTT 00:00.313 --> 00:03.396 ^(gentle tempo music) 00:04.300 --> 00:07.237 ^- I would like to say to all women, 21 and over, 00:07.237 --> 00:09.215 ^that the pap smear is very important. 00:09.215 --> 00:11.068 ^Just part of your routine health maintenance. 00:11.068 --> 00:13.523 ^If we continue on that every three year evaluation 00:13.523 --> 00:15.568 ^and everything's normal, that reassures us 00:15.568 --> 00:18.484 that what could be a process that could be life 00:18.484 --> 00:20.651 threatening down the line. 00:20.884 --> 00:23.299 In my experience, in my training, 00:23.299 --> 00:25.213 the patients that came in with advanced cervical cancer 00:25.213 --> 00:27.967 usually they are ones that had not been screened. 00:27.967 --> 00:30.130 Once you get into cervical cancer, 00:30.130 --> 00:31.955 that is a very serious process, 00:31.955 --> 00:34.788 with unfortunately high mortality. 00:34.995 --> 00:36.255 With this screening, 00:36.255 --> 00:38.638 we can prevent from getting to that point. 00:38.638 --> 00:41.060 Now it is possible for a young lady, 00:41.060 --> 00:43.012 with their first pap smear, to have an abnormality, 00:43.012 --> 00:45.199 that may be cervical cancer. 00:45.199 --> 00:47.852 That is an extremely unlikely and rare event. 00:47.852 --> 00:49.742 It's usually someone who's, unfortunately, 00:49.742 --> 00:53.252 fallen through the cracks or just not adhered to 00:53.252 --> 00:54.981 the recommended screen. 00:54.981 --> 00:56.771 ^- It's really important to me to screened 00:56.771 --> 01:00.688 ^and have wellness exams regularly, as a mother. 01:00.820 --> 01:04.987 ^I probably, like most military members, 01:05.105 --> 01:07.247 need to have them annually as opposed to 01:07.247 --> 01:09.649 once every three years or so. 01:09.649 --> 01:13.041 I'm glad and grateful that the military requires us 01:13.041 --> 01:17.124 to be screened so frequently because it allows us 01:17.426 --> 01:21.593 to be accountable to not only ourselves, but our families. 01:22.807 --> 01:25.640 If something were to happen to me, 01:25.659 --> 01:29.742 I would want to have as much awareness, knowledge 01:30.738 --> 01:33.988 and be given as much notice as possible 01:36.145 --> 01:37.885 to be able to try to take care of myself 01:37.885 --> 01:40.030 so that I'm there for my family. 01:40.030 --> 01:42.367 ^- We start screening all women for cervical cancer 01:42.367 --> 01:43.784 ^at the age of 21, 01:43.949 --> 01:45.173 ^when they should have their first pap smear. 01:45.173 --> 01:48.379 ^That continues every three years until the age of 30. 01:48.379 --> 01:50.736 ^At the age of 30, we add another test to the pap smear, 01:50.736 --> 01:52.994 that's testing for the HPV virus. 01:52.994 --> 01:55.713 That virus essentially causes all cervical cancer. 01:55.713 --> 01:57.810 If we have a patient that has a normal pap smear, 01:57.810 --> 02:01.977 a negative HPV testing, that screening can be pushed 02:01.985 --> 02:03.796 out to every five years. 02:03.796 --> 02:05.665 The HPV vaccine is available to all women, 02:05.665 --> 02:09.362 starting from the age of 12 up until the age of 26. 02:09.362 --> 02:12.314 We actually recommend that vaccination for men as well. 02:12.314 --> 02:16.419 It is effective against four strains of the HPV virus, 02:16.419 --> 02:19.897 two of which, 16 and 18, are believed to cause 02:19.897 --> 02:22.205 about 80% of cervical cancers. 02:22.205 --> 02:23.407 So this vaccine was designed 02:23.407 --> 02:25.945 to be a cancer preventing vaccination. 02:25.945 --> 02:29.502 Cervical cancer is really a slowly developing process 02:29.502 --> 02:32.730 so we frequently see abnormal pap smears 02:32.730 --> 02:35.615 and abnormal cells, but going from that point to cancer 02:35.615 --> 02:37.275 can take quite some time. 02:37.275 --> 02:39.390 That allows us the opportunity to intervene with 02:39.390 --> 02:42.110 in office procedures that can treat that 02:42.110 --> 02:45.515 and make it not an issue going forward in the future. 02:45.515 --> 02:49.682 ^- I value any testing or screening for cancer, period. 02:49.729 --> 02:52.467 ^It doesn't matter what type of cancer it is. 02:52.467 --> 02:54.911 ^This is one of those screenings 02:54.911 --> 02:57.411 that is very quick, very easy. 02:57.727 --> 03:01.644 Although it can be uncomfortable having someone 03:03.139 --> 03:07.306 perform the screening, because it's such a quick time, 03:08.129 --> 03:12.296 the risk and reward is just, it's definitely worth 03:12.926 --> 03:17.040 every moment of that little bit of uncomfortableness. 03:17.040 --> 03:18.829 ^- We understand it's not a comfortable visit 03:18.829 --> 03:20.367 ^for a lady to have, definitely very necessary. 03:20.367 --> 03:24.021 ^I think what we do to help it be a little more 03:24.021 --> 03:27.298 ^tolerable and pleasant, it starts with our front desk staff. 03:27.298 --> 03:29.213 We've got a really great team in the clinic. 03:29.213 --> 03:31.715 From there, our medical assistants and then our providers 03:31.715 --> 03:34.029 all understand that the benefit of it, I think, 03:34.029 --> 03:36.528 far outweighs the discomforts. 03:36.528 --> 03:37.997 If we find an abnormality, 03:37.997 --> 03:39.654 we can often intervene long before 03:39.654 --> 03:43.487 we need more radical procedures in the future. 03:43.749 --> 03:45.218 I have a wife and two children at home, 03:45.218 --> 03:48.084 so I understand how busy life can get for some moms. 03:48.084 --> 03:51.334 Not wanting to go to this 30 minute visit that's quite 03:51.334 --> 03:53.409 uncomfortable can be a challenge. 03:53.409 --> 03:54.708 One service that we have at the hospital 03:54.708 --> 03:56.295 that can help, is the Teddy Watch, 03:56.295 --> 03:57.630 which they can watch your children 03:57.630 --> 04:00.565 for any of the visits up until noon. 04:00.565 --> 04:03.898 By doing this process every three years, 04:04.029 --> 04:06.387 as long as everything is reassuring, 04:06.387 --> 04:08.572 allows us to have that peace of mind 04:08.572 --> 04:10.655 that nothing is abnormal. 04:10.666 --> 04:12.769 Or, if we find abnormalities and we can intervene 04:12.769 --> 04:14.928 and prevent us from being in a situation 04:14.928 --> 04:16.302 years down the line where you may not 04:16.302 --> 04:18.388 be around to take care of those little ones. 04:18.388 --> 04:20.306 ^- If you have an opportunity to take a pap test, 04:20.306 --> 04:22.115 ^you definitely should. 04:22.115 --> 04:24.015 ^There's no reason not to, especially 04:24.015 --> 04:27.432 ^when we have the amenities right on base. 04:29.456 --> 04:33.623 We have these great doctors right here at Blanch Field. 04:35.463 --> 04:37.088 They make us feel comfortable here. 04:37.088 --> 04:40.741 I feel comfortable here, like no other hospital 04:40.741 --> 04:43.574 or with no other medical personnel 04:43.835 --> 04:45.918 that I've ever been with. 04:46.366 --> 04:48.774 I'm one of those people that, frankly, prefer to 04:48.774 --> 04:52.412 have female doctors over males but here the males 04:52.412 --> 04:55.641 I've encountered have made me feel 100% comfortable 04:55.641 --> 04:58.141 to be able to have a pap test. 04:58.345 --> 05:00.178 I'm grateful for that. 05:01.516 --> 05:04.670 I just encourage everyone to find a doctor 05:04.670 --> 05:08.503 that they feel comfortable with 05:08.549 --> 05:09.604 and have a pap test 05:09.604 --> 05:13.771 ^because it's what's best for you and your family.