January is National Cervical Health Awareness Month and the American Cancer Society would like to encourage all women between the ages of 21 and 65 to talk to their medical provider about getting regular cervical cancer screenings. Every year in the U.S., approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 4,000 women die of the disease.
However, there are two simple interventions that could prevent many of these deaths. The first is increased utilization of the HPV vaccine. This vaccine protects both males and females against the Human Papilloma Virus, which is the primary cause of cervical as well as other cancers, including oropharyngeal, anal and penile.
The second is regular cervical cancer screening with a Pap smear, or a Pap with HPV co-test. Because early stage cervical cancer doesn’t usually have any signs or symptoms, these routine tests are the only way of knowing if you have a problem before it becomes serious.
In Southwest Colorado, more than 25 percent of eligible women are not up to date on their cervical cancer screening. This is alarming, because more than 50 percent of all new cervical cancers are in women who have never been screened or have not been screened in the previous five years.
When diagnosed early, up to 93 percent of cervical cancers are treatable and survivable.
Under health care reform, all insurance plans are required to cover women’s preventive health services, like Pap tests, with no cost sharing to the patient (no copays or deductible).
The Women’s Wellness Connection offers FREE cervical cancer screenings and any necessary diagnostic follow-up for Colorado women between the ages of 40-64 who are uninsured or underinsured and meet income requirements.
For more information, call the hotline at 1-866-951-WELL (9355) or visit www.womenswellnessconnection.org.
Karen Forest, American Cancer Society
Durango