REGION– January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and Central Michigan District Health Department (CMDHD) is raising awareness about how to prevent cervical cancer. Routine pap tests are important for those age 21 or older to find abnormal cells on your cervix before they become cancer.
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine series is also recommended for everyone 9 – 45 years old to help prevent cervical and other HPV-linked cancers.
“This month is a great time to schedule a cervical cancer screening and get an HPV vaccine,” said Connie Lance, CMDHD Health Promotion Supervisor. “Cervarix and Gardasil are vaccines that we administer to help stop types of HPV that can lead to cancer.”
Cervical cancer usually starts slowly with abnormal cells. If not found early and treated, the cells can turn into cancer. Most cervical cancers — about 2 out of 3 cases — are caused by HPV. In 2022, about 14,100 new cases of cervical cancer were found in the United States. Sadly, 4,280 people lost their lives to it. HPV vaccines reduce the chances that you will develop abnormal cells.
Learn more about HPV and vaccines at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/index.html. Call Personal Health at 989-314-7570 to schedule an appointment for an HPV vaccine.
Please call Reproductive Health at 989-314-7570 if you would like to schedule a routine cervical cancer screening. For qualifying people ages 21-64, CMDHD can provide free pap tests and breast cancer screenings through our Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BC3NP).
For more information, visit https://www.cmdhd.org/bc3np.
This article has been brought to you by Central Michigan District Health Department, which serves the counties of Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Osceola, and Roscommon. Visit our website at www.cmdhd.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
