Wednesday, January 18, 2017

January = Cervical Awareness Month

January is cervical health awareness month. It is a month to remember how women can protect themselves from the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. HPV is a virus spread through sexual activity and is a leading cause of cervical cancer.
Annually, 13,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer (The National Cervical Cancer Coalition [NCCC], 2017). However, HPV, the virus that often causes cervical cancer, is preventable with vaccination and screening (including pap and HPV testing).
You may think, “How can I help with any of this?” There are actually a few things you can do:
1. Encourage women to visit a gynecologist this year.
2. Let women know that insurance plans cover most gynecologist visits and cervical cancer screening (depending on insurance, some may get services at no charge).
3. Talk to parents about the importance of getting their pre-teens and teens, both boys and girls, to get the HPV vaccine.
Resources
National Cervical Cancer Coalition. (2017). Cervical health awareness month. Retrieved from http://www.nccc-online.org/…/cervical-health-awareness-mon…/