Download January is cervical health awareness month

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC), based in Los Angeles County, raises
awareness on the importance of cervical cancer detection and prevention. As a
community partner, they have been asked to develop our January health note.
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During January, Cervical Health Awareness Month, it is important to spread the word on
cervical cancer prevention. Cervical cancer is a cancer we can stop. Everyone should
know that there is now an FDA-approved vaccine that can be given to girls and young
women ages 9 -26 to prevent infection from the 4 types of the human papillomavirus
(HPV) that cause 70% of cervical cancers.
And most important is the ongoing message that early detection with the Pap test can
save lives. Women need to remember to schedule their regular Pap test, even if they
have had the vaccine.
LA County resident Nicole Greene, mother to four young children, is battling advanced
stages of cervical cancer. She tells us: "YES, early detection with your regular Pap test
is so important. Please remember to take care of your health and prevent cervical
cancer from coming into your home."
Although cervical cancer incidence has been gradually declining, health disparities
exist. Between 2004 and 2005, there was a slight increase in incidence among
Latinas, African-American women and Asian/Pacific Islander women in Los Angeles
County.1
Asian/Pacific Islander women have significantly lower screening rates compared to
other ethnicities in Los Angeles County and California. 2 African-American and white
women showed a decline in mortality since 1997, with African-American women having
the greatest decline. In 2005, at the local and state level. Latinas have the highest
incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer.3
Sarina Araujo, Executive Director of the NCCC and a resident of LA County, is a woman
who battled persistent HPV and abnormal Paps. She states: “It is so important to make
sure our daughters are receiving their regular cervical cancer screening. Early
detection saves lives. I remind my daughters to get their Pap test regularly and an HPV
test if recommended by their clinician."
Remember to speak out during January and all year long and you can help prevent
cervical cancer too.
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For more information on the NCCC and their programs, please visit their award-winning
website: www.nccc-online,org.
1
Liu, L., Zhang J, Deapen D. Cancer in Los Angeles County: Incidence and Mortality by Race/Ethnicity 1988-2005.
Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program, University of Southern California, 2008.
2
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Women’s Health in California: Health Status, Health Behaviors, Health
Insurance Coverage, and Use ofServices Among California Women Ages 18-64, August 2008. Available online at
http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu.
3
California Cancer Registry, California Department of Public Health, Oct 2007. www.cancer-rates.info/ca/