Nicole Daceus, who was recently tested for HPV through the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, speaks with Valentine Cesar (right), a community health worker. Having a culturally competent staff can be key to cutting through health care avoidance and fear, Cesar says. Verónica Zaragovia/ WLRN hide caption
Guidelines for cervical cancer screening have changed to allow HPV testing alone for women over 30. Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption
Vaginal smear test at the gynecologist's office. BSIP/UIG via Getty Images hide caption
Abraham Vidaurre, 12, checks his arm after receiving an HPV vaccination at Amistad Community Health Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 2016. Though gender differences in vaccine rates have narrowed, more girls than boys tend to get immunized against HPV. The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption
Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of cultured cancer cells from a human cervix, showing numerous blebs (lumps) and microvilli (hair-like structures) characteristic of cancer cells. Cancer of the cervix (the neck of the uterus) is one of the most common cancers affecting women. Magnification: x3000 when printed 10 centimetres wide. Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption
Testing for changes in cells of the cervix or for presence of the HPV virus are both good ways to screen for cervical cancer, health organizations say. GARO/Canopy/Getty Images hide caption
Vials of the HPV vaccination drug Gardasil. Doctors and public health experts say the new version of the vaccine could protect more people against cancer. Matthew Busch for The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption
The HPV vaccine has reduced the prevalence of the cancer-causing human papillomavirus by as much as 65 percent among those who are vaccinated. Matthew Busch for The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption
WFYI's Jake Harper reports health stories for Side Effects Public Media in Indianapolis. His newest health anxiety stems from the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Brian Paul/Side Effects Public Media hide caption
Women often save up questions for an annual office visit that they think don't warrant a sick visit to the doctor during the year, research finds. Tim Pannell/Fuse/Getty Images hide caption
Some doctors have been hesitant to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys and girls. iStockphoto hide caption
The human papilloma virus causes most — but not all — cases of cancer of the cervix. James Cavallini/ScienceSource hide caption
Dr. Donald Brown inoculated Kelly Kent with the HPV vaccine in his Chicago office in the summer of 2006 — not long after the first version of the vaccine reached the market. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP hide caption
There are two versions of the HPV vaccine. Dr P. Marazzi/Science Photo Library/Corbis hide caption
Two cervical cancer cells divide in this image from a scanning electron microscope. Steve Gschmeissner/Getty Images/Science Photo Libra hide caption
Convenience may be one reason why most teens haven't gotten all three HPV shots. VCU CNS/Flickr hide caption
University of Miami pediatrician Judith Schaechter gives a girl an HPV vaccination in 2011. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
The human papilloma virus causes most cervical cancers. That's why HPV testing is now recommended for women ages 30 to 65. Science Photo Library hide caption
Oral HPV infections are on the rise. Brushing and flossing well wouldn't hurt. iStockphoto.com hide caption
Chandra Devi lost two of her children last week when they consumed a free school lunch in Gandaman village, India. They were among 23 children who died in the tragedy. Anoo Bhuyan/NPR hide caption
An 18-year-old girl winces as she has her third and final shot of the HPV vaccine. John Amis/AP hide caption
Doreen Ramogola-Masire, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Botswana, hopes that a simple, quick screen for cervical cancer with vinegar will catch the disease early and save women's lives. Jason Beaubien/NPR hide caption
Cells gathered during a Pap test. Those on the left are normal, and those on the right are infected with human papillomavirus. Ed Uthman/Wikimedia Commons hide caption