Women's Health: Cervical Cancer and HPV vaccine Gardasil

"I wanna be one less, o-n-e-l-e-s-s!" Is this song permanently lodged in your brain? Do the words "Tell Someone" have new meaning? You have pharmaceutical company Merck to thank. These slogans are from its commercials aiming to raise awareness about the link between HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) and cervical cancer and Merck's HPV vaccine, Gardasil.

Before this connection was discovered, we didn't know what caused cervical cancer and the only way to know you had it was through a pap test. Kim, 43, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1993. Throughout her treatment, there was no mention of HPV and it wasn't until years later (after beating the cancer) that she realized the cause.

"I didn't even know HPV caused cervical cancer until I saw those commercials; my doctor didn't even tell me when I had it," Kim says. "I had never even heard of HPV until the commercials and I read an article about it and said, 'Oh, I guess that's what I had.'"

Many women don't know much about HPV until it affects them, even though as many as 80 percent will acquire HPV at some point in their lives.

In a 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey, only 40 percent of women respondents had heard of HPV and less than 20 percent knew it could lead to cervical cancer. Think back to 2005, before the commercials worked into your consciousness, how much did you know about HPV? Probably nothing, which is scary, considering about 10 women die from cervical cancer in America everyday, according to the American Cancer Society.

There are women who develop cervical cancer who have only had one partner and women who have had several partners. Discovering the link between a virus and cervical cancer is extraordinary, but it shouldn't lead people to believe those who develop cervical cancer were reckless with their sexual health. Here are some facts about HPV and cervical cancer the 30 second TV commercials don't include-but you should know: