The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority is calls attention to National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with information on prevention and screenings. Through the month of January Good Sam Atlanta is offering free Women’s Health screenings. The Georgia Department of Public Health provides free screenings through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention program.
The American Cancer Society states that in 2017 about 12,820 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed and about 4,210 women will die from cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is cancer that forms around the cervix and is one of the most common cancers affecting U.S. women. The Human Papillomavirus is a major cause that is found in about 99 percent of cervical cancers. Ways to prevent cervical cancer include getting children vaccinated against HPV and for women to begin early / routine cervical cancer screenings beginning at age 21.
Cervical cancer is highly preventable in most Western countries because screening test and a vaccine to prevent HPV infections are available. When cervical cancer is found early, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life.
All women a re at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women over age 30. Each year, about 12,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer and about 4,000 women die from it. HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. At least half of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their lives, but few women will get cervical cancer.
Information: Kiplyn Primus at 404-334-3680 or kprimus@thefdha.org.
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