myLAB Box Announces Tips to Reduce Risk of Cervical Cancer

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With the U.S. Congress designating January as Cervical Health Awareness Month, myLAB Box, the first at-home sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing service, today announces tips to help reduce the risk of Cervical Cancer.

Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer that is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Genital HPV is the #1 most common STD and an STI that almost half of all American adults have. While there are many types of genital HPV, only about 14 are considered the high-risk types of HPV that have been linked to cervical cancer.

It's estimated that more than 12,000 women in the US are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year. About 1 in 20 women 30 and over has high-risk HPV, which means they have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. Women 30 and older who test positive for these high-risk viruses are more likely to have HPV infections that do not go away. Over time, these persistent HPV infections may cause changes in the cells of the cervix. Without regular screening and treatment, these changes can develop into cervical cancer.

Luckily, this type of cancer can be prevented with regular screening tests and the HPV vaccine.
Regular screenings can spot HPV infections that may cause abnormal cells to develop in the future. When found early, these cells can be treated before they turn into cancer.

Here are tips from myLAB Box on reducing the risk of cervical cancer:

1. Regular Screening Tests. The most important thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer is to have regular screening tests starting at age 21.
2. Getting an HPV Vaccine. Two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil, are available to protect against the types of HPV that cause the most cervical cancers, as well as anal cancers in men. The ideal time to get the HPV vaccine is before becoming sexually active. The HPV vaccine is available for children starting when they're 11 or 12 years old. Women can still get the vaccine until they're 26, and the cutoff for men is usually 21 years old, although it depends on the situation.
3. Don't Smoke. Smoking cigarettes doubles your risk of developing cervical cancer. Studies have shown that tobacco by-products damage the DNA of cervix cells and may contribute to the development of cervical cancer.
4. Safe Sex. If you are sexually active, use a condom every time you have sex. Condoms help to lower the risk of contracting HPV and developing HPV-related diseases, including cervical cancer. But while condoms help to lower the risk of developing HPV-related diseases, including cervical cancer, be aware that HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom, so condoms may not fully protect against HPV.
5. Limit number of Sexual Partners. Studies have shown that women who have many sexual partners increase their risk of developing HPV and their risk of cervical cancer.

The myLAB Box Cervical Cancer Screening HPV home test uses a highly accurate process called genotyping to specifically identify the 2 high-risk types known to cause most cervical cancers, HPV-16 and HPV-18. The test also tells you if you are positive or negative for a group of 12 other high-risk HPV types: 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66 and 68. This gives you more information about your cervical cancer risk and empowers you to take charge of your health by screening for cervical cancer from the comfort of home.

"Cervical Health Awareness Month is a great time to remind everyone what they can do to help prevent and reduce the risk of cervical cancer," said Lora Ivanova, CEO & Co-Founder, myLAB Box. " The myLAB Box cervical cancer screening uses advanced DNA technology to look for the high-risk types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, and help women determine if they are at risk of developing cervical cancer before any cancer cells appear. Screening tests are vital in terms of helping to prevent cervical cancer or find it early enough to treat and cure, but there are other ways besides screening that people can do daily to make mitigate the risks, including safe sex and vaccines. At myLAB Box, we're proud to continue fulfilling our mission to raise awareness of maintaining your sexual health with solutions like the cervical cancer screening test."

Partnership With The National LGBT Cancer Network, The Rural Cancer Prevention Center, and Transgender Activist Buck Angel

To get more people screened for cervical cancer, myLAB Box is partnering with the National LGBT Cancer Network, the Rural Cancer Prevention Center, and transgender activist Buck Angel to donate free At Home STD Tests. From today to February 25, 2019, myLAB Box is offering 10% off on every At Home HPV test when shoppers use the discount code fightcancer10. myLAB Box will then donate one HPV kit to their cancer prevention partners to help get screenings to transgender and gender nonconforming members of the LGBT community, who are far less likely to get regular screenings at traditional healthcare settings. People will also have the option to donate directly to Rural Cancer Prevention Center to purchase kits. More info on the partnership available via this link.

About myLAB Box
Founded in 2013, myLAB Box is the first company to offer a nationwide at-home screening platform for STDs. All myLAB Box tests are validated by fully licensed CLIA-certified myLAB Box lab affiliates with extensive experience in testing for infectious diseases. By offering testing, screening or testing services directly to consumers, myLAB Box is able to offer exceptional service at half the cost of conventional lab tests. From affordable screening to complimentary physician consultations for positives, every aspect of the myLAB Box service is designed to be safe, effective and efficient. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit: http://www.mylabbox.com.

SOURCE myLAB Box