Cervical cancer is preventable if women are proactive

8th September 2014   ·   0 Comments

By Kelly Parker
Contributing Writer

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventative cancers; and when caught early, the five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent, according to Planned Parenthood. The non-profit is urging women to take advantage of preventative screenings and schedule their well-woman exams as September is recognized as National Gynecologic Cancer and National Ovarian Cancer awareness month.

About 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the U.S. About 12,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and about 4,000 will die from the disease.

Planned Parenthood states that women should talk with their health care providers to see how often they should be screened for cervical cancer based on their age and heath history. A regular well-woman visit is the perfect opportunity for a woman to discuss how frequently she needs screenings.

National medical guidelines call for initial Pap tests at age 21; Pap tests every three years for women aged 21–29; and Pap tests every three years for women aged 30–64 (or every five years when women 30-64 receive combined Pap and HPV tests). Some women may require more frequent Pap tests.

“Planned Parenthood offers the HPV vaccine, and each year, more and more young women receive the vaccine,” says Raegan Carter, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Education for Planned Parenthood- Gulf Coast.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act’s preventative health benefits, routine well-woman exams, cervical cancer screenings, and breast exams for women over 40 are more accessible without copays or other out-of-pocket expenses.

Although Louisiana is not a state participating in the Federal ACA, exams and screenings are available at Planned Parenthood health centers for the insured and the uninsured.

The Planned Parenthood website is a good place to find information about cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.

Gynecological health is important at all stages of adult life. Cervical cancer can affect wo­men before or after meno­pause and it’s never too late to start getting screened. Whether it’s for you, a friend, family member, or partner, learn the risks of gynecologic cancers and take steps to prevent and catch them early when they are most treatable.

Being aware of your body is important at any age. It’s important to know how your body normally looks and feels. If you notice any changes, tenderness, or pain, you should get checked out by a health care provider as soon as possible.

Anyone with a cervix and ovaries, including transgender individuals, can develop cervical and ovarian cancer, so Planned Parenthood encourages anyone at risk to seek exams from a trusted provider. Planned Parenthood believes everyone has the right to nonjudgmental, high-quality care.

“We provide a wealth of educational resources through our educational brochures and pamphlets located in our health centers,” adds Carter. “Additionally, we participate in health fairs and other community events to share information and resources. Our health educators are also available to conduct presentations on numerous health topics upon request.”

As the nation’s leading women’s health care provider, advocate, and educator, Planned Parenthood encourages every woman to visit her health care provider regularly to receive a checkup that can screen for gynecologic cancers, and also may include contraceptive counseling, birth control prescriptions, breast exams, and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.

According to Carter, research does suggest that many people delay seeking medical care out of fear of diagnosis and prognosis. “But in Louisiana, where an overwhelming number of the population lacks health insurance, especially among women, lack of finances and access to affordable health care does have an impact on a woman’s ability to seek health care services,” she says. “We encourage women to contact us or their health care provider to schedule an appointment for a well-woman exam.”

For more than 30 years, Louisianans have trusted Plan­ned Parenthood for accessible, affordable health care and accurate sexual health information.

One in five U.S. women has depended on Planned Parenthood for health care at some point in their lives. In Louisiana, our two Planned Parenthood Health Centers provide care to over 16,000 people annually. More than 90% of health services provided by Planned Parenthood are basic, preventive health care including well-woman exams, life-saving cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, birth control and more.

To learn more about information on ovarian and cervical cancer prevention and services provided by Planned Parent­hood, visit www.plan­nedparent­hood­.org.

This article originally published in the September 8, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.