Each year 9,700 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer, a possibly deadly cancer of the lower end of the uterus or womb. It is caused by certain types of Human Papilloma virus (HPV) that can cause cells in the lining of the cervix to morph into precancerous lesions. If left untreated, these lesions can turn cancerous and result in death. Now it is almost entirely preventable.

In the year 2006, it is predicted that 9,710 women will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, and some doctors predict that non-invasive cervical cancer is four times more common. Also predicted for this year are 3,700 deaths from cervical cancer.

What is known as the "Tell Someone Campaign" is a campaign to promote the use of, as of this year, a brand new vaccine against the four types of HPV that cause the majority of cervical cancer cases. "Gardasil" was approved by the FDA on June 8, 2006 and is recommended for all females between the ages of 9 and 26 years.

Why is a vaccine against an STD recommended for girls as young as 9 years old? 25 percent of females acquire at least one strain of HPV during their first unprotected sexual encounter. If possible, all girls and women should be vaccinated before they become sexually active. However, women who are already sexually active should still be treated with Gardasil. Even if a person is already infected with one strain of HPV, Gardasil will protect that person against the other strains covered by the vaccine. It is not a treatment. It is a preventative.

A person who receives Gardasil cannot be infected by HPV.

Being the daughter of a doctor and nurse who own their own private clinic, I was likely one of the first people in Seattle to receive the approved vaccine. It is given through three separate doses, each being a shot in the upper arm. The second dose is administered two months after the first and the third dose four months after that.

Before giving me the first dose, my mom promised that it wouldn't hurt - much, as I had inherited my dad's fear of being stuck with needles. Well, guess what? It hurt...a lot. The more upper arm muscle a person has, the more it hurts. Plus I was tense to begin with - that really didn't help! By the next one, my mom and I figured out that numbing the injection site with ice beforehand works wonders for reducing the discomfort.

Each dose costs approximately $160, which is admittedly quite steep, but when compared to even the first treatment for pre-cancerous cervical lesions the price looks like a thrift store bargain. Also, most insurance companies cover the vaccine expense. Those being treated must receive all three doses for the vaccine to be as effective as possible.

While I am doing my best - and probably failing - to not sound like a medical brochure for Gardasil, I am trying to promote the use of this vaccine. Yes, the shots are painful; yes, the cost is high; yes, the inconvenience of scheduling a doctor's appointment even just to ask about Gardasil is a pain in the arse, but the unpleasantness of all of this cannot compare to the ills of being diagnosed with cancer, especially when it is avoidable.

Gardasil is the first vaccine for any cancerous disease. Women, listen to this and think of yourselves, your daughters and any other eligible women you might know. With the risks so high, take advantage of this trump card and give a big "na-na-nana-na" to the threat of cervical cancer.

Kyra-lin Hom may be reached at kl_hom@yahoo.com