US Senate Supports Cervical Cancer Awareness

On January 26, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution (H. Res. 1011) to recognize the importance of cervical health and early cancer detection and to support Cervical Health Awareness Month. Sponsored by Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

* approximately 11,270 women were diagnosed with, and approximately 4,070 women died from, cervical cancer in the United States in 2009;

* cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women, at a rate that is more than twice what is seen in non-Hispanic white women;

* African American women develop cervical cancer about 50 percent more often than non-Hispanic white women;

* cervical cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms, and is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but can be detected by Papanicolaou tests (Pap tests) or other early detection tests; and

* the earlier cervical cancer is detected the better chance a woman has of surviving cervical cancer.

The resolution “urges health care advocates to continue to raise public awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of early detection; urges the people of the United States to learn about cervical cancer and its causes…and the importance of early detection; and recognizes the patients and survivors of cervical cancer and their families for their tremendous courage and determination.”

Source: Women's Policy, Inc