Preventing cervical cancer

Every month in Australian Family Physician, and in every other medical journal in the world, there are discussions of new information; descriptions of innovations; or changes in the way we view health and illness that cumulatively or individually will make a positive impact. It is not often that the potential impact appears so obvious and clear cut as the development of an effective primary prevention vaccine for cervical cancer. While editing this month's articles, I was able to tell my 13 year old daughter and her friends about a vaccine that would dramatically reduce the risk that they would develop cervical cancer. On a world scale, it has the potential to prevent premature death and reduce morbidity for millions of women.