Overview
- AIIMS began a free January programme that offers WHO‑recommended HPV testing using Cobas HPV/Hybrid Capture‑2, follow‑up care, and vaccination.
- Clinicians report more cases and precancerous changes in women in their 20s and 30s, citing early HPV exposure, low awareness, and delayed testing.
- High‑risk HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers, yet symptoms often appear late, leading to many diagnoses at advanced stages in India.
- India accounts for nearly one‑fourth of global cervical cancer cases, and one woman in the country dies roughly every eight minutes.
- Experts recommend HPV vaccination at ages 9–14 and Pap or HPV testing starting around 25–35 at intervals of about three to five years.