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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kathy Mimberg
(202) 776-1714
kmimberg@nclr.org
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and for women across the country that should serve as an all-too-important reminder to schedule a Pap test, since Cervical cancer is easily preventable. Unfortunately, many Latinas don’t take the time to schedule this simple test and are losing the battle against this disease. Every year, 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and approximately 3,700 die from the illness. For Latinas, the outlook of surviving this disease is bleak. Latinas have the highest rate of cervical cancer and the second-highest mortality rate among all racial and ethnic groups.
The root of the problem is early detection. Latinas are simply not getting Pap tests regularly.
“What’s most frustrating is that there are so many Latinas suffering and dying from this disease who simply don’t have to,” said Manuela McDonough, Program Manager for the Institute for Hispanic Health (IHH) at NCLR (National Council of La Raza). “Doctors know how to find this disease and treat it, but they can’t do either of those things unless women get tested regularly.”
Despite high rates of disease and death, Latinas age 18 to 44 have lower screening rates for cervical cancer than non-Hispanic Whites. Overall, only 73.6 percent of Hispanic women have had a Pap test in the last three years.
Having Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or conditions that weaken the immune system such as HIV are risk factors that can increase the likelihood of cervical cancer. Other factors include smoking, using birth control pills for more than five years and having given birth to at least three children. However, cervical cancer does not always cause symptoms, thus underscoring the importance of visiting a physician. IHH recommends that women should begin getting regular Pap tests at the age 21.
“One of the biggest obstacles that we face is simply educating our community about the disease,” said Marcela Vargas, Project Coordinator for IHH. Vargas helps run the Mujer Sana, Familia Fuerte (Healthy Woman, Strong Family) project, which uses the promotores de salud (lay health workers) model to teach Latinas about cervical cancer prevention.
“We’re lucky to have an opportunity to train people who actually live and work in these communities about why it’s so important to get cervical cancer screenings and how to find appropriate care,” Vargas stated. “Hearing it from someone you know and work with is the most effective way to get across the seriousness of this issue.”
Vargas and McDonough plan to host a promotores training on cervical cancer in Chicago on January 28–30. For more information about the training or to speak with an NCLR project coordinator about cervical cancer in the Latina community, please contact Kathy Mimberg at kmimberg@nclr.org.
Lower-income individuals or those who do not have insurance may be eligible for free or low-cost Pap tests through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. For more information, call 1-800-CDC-INFO or visit http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp.
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