Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers we know how to prevent and yet, in 2025 in United States, an estimated 13,500 women will be diagnosed and over 4,000 will die from it. As a cancer prevention researcher for over two decades and professor of health, society, and behavior, at the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, I can’t help but ask: why are we still facing this preventable loss?
The fight against cervical cancer is not just a medical issue — it’s a public health imperative.”
– Sora Park Tanjasiri
It is commonly known that Pap tests and cervical cancer screenings are the go-to preventative health measures against cervical cancer. I found a startling statistic put out by the National Cancer Institute a few years ago. From 2005 to 2019, the rate of overdue cervical cancer screenings went from 14% to 23% of all women in the United States. In addition, Hispanic women are most likely to get cervical cancer compared to other racial groups.
Sadly, I wasn’t surprised. I witness the barriers that prevent women from accessing these tools every day. Health insurance, access to a primary care physician, transportation, and jobs that don’t allow time off can make even a routine screening difficult. Add the invasive, uncomfortable nature of a clinical exam — and, in the current climate, growing misinformation and political attacks on vaccines — and it’s no wonder many women delay or avoid care.
I know how we can do better and save lives. The human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV), made available in 2006, helps prevent most cervical cancers, as well as vagina, vulva, penis and anus cancers caused by HPV. To put it simply, it’s only one of two population-recommended prevention vaccines we have against this cancer.
The FDA recently approved the first at-home cervical cancer screening test, following last year’s approval of HPV tests that allow for self-collection in a health care setting. These milestones open the door to a future with far fewer barriers where women can take control of their health on their own terms. Imagine Pap tests becoming a thing of the past, replaced by convenient, self-directed screening that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
Still, I know that innovative testing tools alone are not enough. We must also confront the attacks on vaccine efficacy and the social determinants of health that limit access to care. I believe we need policies and programs that ensure every woman can get vaccinated, screened, and treated—regardless of income, location, or work schedule.
I am proud to say that the UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where I hold a leadership role as the associate director for community outreach and engagement, has joined 62 National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Centers, alongside leading national organizations to release a joint statement urging healthcare providers, parents, and the public to promote and choose HPV vaccination. This united call to action reflects both urgency and opportunity — especially since newly released national survey data show no gains in HPV vaccination rates over the past several years. If we want to prevent cervical cancer and the other six HPV-related cancers, we cannot afford to stay stagnant.
The fight against cervical cancer is not just a medical issue — it’s a public health imperative. By combining innovation in prevention and screening with a commitment to health equity, we can ensure that cervical cancer becomes a preventable disease, not a continuing tragedy. Let’s advocate for vaccination, embrace tools like at-home screening, and work to remove the barriers that prevent women from accessing life-preserving preventative care. The future of cervical cancer prevention is in our hands, and I am determined to help make it a future free from fear, free from barriers, and free from cervical cancer.
