Dr. Avidi Veera Surya Prem Chand Kumar, Radiation Oncologist at HCG Cancer Centre, Vizag
A disease that begins quietly can change the patient’s life. Cervical cancer often strikes instantly without any prior warning signs. In India, government records show that cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women and causes about 97,000 cases and 60,000 deaths every year. It also notes that during its initial stage the disease may not showcase any symptoms, while persistent infection with high-risk HPV, especially types 16 and 18, drives majority of the cases.
Why HPV screening matters
This is why HPV screening deserves far more attention. The recommended test is not to measure the fear; but to identify the risk factors before the risk gets transformed into a disease. Today, HPV-related cervical change is treated as preventable disease if found early, and smoking, early sexual activity, multiple partners, repeated childbirth, and weakened immunity as factors that can raise the chance of disease. The message is plain: the virus may enter silently, but the damage does not have to be silent forever.
What screening looks like in India
India’s screening system is built around a simple idea: reach women before symptoms do. Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid, or VIA, is described as an effective screening test. The 2025–26 National Health Mission training module says women aged 30 to 65 should undergo VIA once every five years, and those who test positive should be referred for further evaluation, including colposcopy and treatment where needed. It also says the test can be done by trained paramedics and does not need a laboratory in the first step.
Access is widening, slowly but surely
The scale is also growing. The National NCD Portal reported that 8.73 crore women had been screened for cervical cancer as of 17 February 2026. The Ministry of Health also said that indigenous rapid, point-of-care RT-PCR-based HPV diagnostic test kits have been validated in India, which is an important step toward wider access and lower dependence on expensive testing pathways. In parallel, the government has linked screening with Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and higher facilities so that women who screen positive are not left stranded between a test and treatment.
The signs that should not be ignored
Even so, screening should not wait for symptoms. When cervical cancer does begin to speak, it may do so through abnormal bleeding between periods, bleeding after menopause, bleeding after sex, unusual discharge with a foul smell, pelvic pain, or pain during intercourse. These symptoms do not automatically mean cancer, but they do mean the body is asking for attention. In cancer care, delay is often the real enemy.
A practical habit that can save lives
HPV screening is not a dramatic intervention. It is a disciplined one. It looks for trouble early, when treatment is simpler and outcomes are far better. For Indian families, especially those balancing caregiving, work, and household demands, that matters. The path is now clearer than before: screening at the right age, referral when needed, and prevention through vaccination as part of a larger public-health push. In a country still carrying a heavy cervical cancer burden, that combination is not just sensible; it is life-preserving.