title: Cervical cancer: a call for political will.
abstract: Cervical cancer kills over a quarter of a million women worldwide on an annual basis, with 80% of these deaths occurring in developing countries. Cytology-based screening programs, widely used in industrialized countries, are difficult to implement in low-resource settings. Non-cytological methods for screening and treatment have been developed and studied over the last decade. Given the barriers to widespread, good quality screening and early treatment, the most promising new prevention strategy will be the introduction of a vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus infection, the cause of cervical cancer. Understanding women's health-seeking behaviors is critical to successful dissemination and uptake of both screening and vaccine prevention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. AP48@columbia.edu
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Balkin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Denny
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D016387:Women's Health; D014933:Women's Rights
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines