Have you talked to your doctor about HPV infection? About 20 million American women have it and many don’t know it – and high-risk types of HPV are a common cause of cervical cancer. This is why many doctors are now recommending that women over 30 have an HPV test along with their regular Pap screening.

HPV, which stands for human papillomavirus, refers to a group of more than 100 types of viruses, 30 of which are sexually transmitted. In most cases, HPV infection has no symptoms or long-term effects. Your immune system simply fights it off. Sometimes, HPV infection can cause genital warts, flesh-colored bumps that can be easily treated. HPV infections can cause changes in the cervical cells that can lead to cancer.

HPV infection is detected by examining the cervical cells from the same sample that your doctor takes for a Pap test; no additional procedures are necessary. A laboratory technician inspects the cells for abnormalities under a microscope and then performs a test to see if they contain the DNA of the HPV types that cause cervical cancer.

After age 30, your risk of cervical cancer increases, especially if you have persistent HPV infection. If you have been getting regular Pap screenings, you are already well on your way to helping your doctor catch early signs of cervical cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, Pap tests have helped decrease the rate of cervical cancer incidence and mortality by 50 percent. The HPV test enhances the Pap test’s ability to detect cervical cancer.

Ask your doctor about this test as well as a newly developed HPV vaccine, which is now available for women ages 10 to 27. The vaccine protects against four of the high-risk HPV viruses that cause cervical cancer and genital warts.