January is Cervical Health Awareness Month By Jill Jesso-White on January 9, 2017 in Community Health News January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and Community Health wants you to know that there’s a lot you can do to prevent cervical cancer. HPV (human papillomavirus) is a very common infection that spreads through sexual activity. About 79 million Americans currently have HPV, but many people with HPV don’t know they are infected. HPV is also a major cause of cervical cancer. Each year, more than 11,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer. The good news? The HPV vaccine (shot) can prevent HPV. Cervical cancer can often be prevented with regular screening tests (called Pap tests) and follow-up care. In honor of National Cervical Health Awareness Month, The Community Health Centers of the Rutland Region encourages: Women to start getting regular Pap tests at age 21 Parents to make sure pre-teens get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12 Teens and young adults also need to get the HPV vaccine if they didn’t get it as pre-teens. Women up to age 26 and men up to age 21 can still get the vaccine. Thanks to the health care reform law, you and your family members may be able to get these services at no cost to you. Check with your insurance company to learn more. Personal Health Tools Family Medical History Tracking https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/FHH/html/index.html Build Your Questions for the Doctor http://www.ahrq.gov/apps/qb/ More Information & Related Resources HPV Human Papillomavirus http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=427 Cervical Cancer http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=149 Women’s Health http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=920 The National Cervical Cancer Coalition http://www.nccc-online.org Human Papillomavirus HPV http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Genital HPV Infection Face Sheet http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm Cervical Cancer Prevention http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/cervical/Patient/page3 National Cancer Institute Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/cervicalcancer.html Office on Women’s Health HPV Fact Sheet http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/humanpapillomavirus.html Pap Test Fact Sheet http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/paptest.html HPV and Cervical Cancer http://www.nccc-online.org/hpvcervical-cancer/ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HPV Vaccine Fact Sheet http://www.vaccines.gov/diseases/hpv/ Cervical Health Awareness Month, featured
