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Yes, cervical cancer rates have declined since regular screening was introduced. However, that fact by itself is misleading because cervical cancer rates worldwide are rising significantly not declining.

"People may wonder what the urgency is in addressing these cancers, but the numbers are staggering," said Jan Coebergh. (...) But the study - by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation - found that breast cancer kills 425,000 women a year while cervical cancer takes 200,000 lives. (...) The study also found that cervical cancer cases increased from 378,000 in 1980 to about 454,000 cases in 2010, with most of those cases in developing countries.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20106719-10391704.html

Cervical cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide.
According to the American Cancer society, invasive cervix cancer affects approximately 11,000 women each year in the U.S. with vaginal and vulvar cancer also diagnosed in about 5,500 women annually.
Vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV) could have a major impact on future rates in these regions.
•Nearly 100% of women with cervical cancer have evidence of cervical infection with HPV, the main cause of cervical cancer.

http://www.gynocyte.com/about-cervical-cancer

I think it's inappropriate to downplay the seriousness of cervical cancer for the purposes of a political discussion.

Those that die of cervical cancer are usually women who did not get regular pap smears."

I believe you fail to understand that Hispanics are a majority in Texas. Hispanics in Texas have both an extremely high teen-pregnancy rate and poverty rate. Taken together, those rates indicate that a significant majority is at risk of contracting HPV and is unlikely to receive regular screening.

Perry's EO was the wrong way to address the situation, but that doesn't change the seriousness of the situation itself.

The vaccination series is much cheaper than the treatment.

By an order of magnitude more people die from influenza each year than cervical cancer, 40,000 to 4,000. Why weren't flu shots mandated by executive order ?

The question Perry will have to answer if he is the nomineee.