'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime'National Lieutenant Governors Association
NEW MEXICO
'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime'
National Lieutenant Governors Association
NEW MEXICO
State of New Mexico
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Diane D. Denish
Lieutenant Governor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 5, 2008
Contact: Kate Nelson
(505) 795-3892
Lt. Governor Promotes Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign on Women’s Health Day
State Support Helped Department of Health Increase Screenings
(Santa Fe) – Lieutenant Governor Diane D. Denish held a news conference today to emphasize the importance of screenings for cervical cancer as a part of a national campaign to end cervical cancer. New Mexico is one of 18 states participating in the National Lieutenant Governor Association’s “Ending Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime campaign.”
“I joined this national campaign last year to encourage women in New Mexico to protect their health by getting regular screenings for cancer,” said Lt. Governor Denish. “The Governor’s Health Solutions plan would give more women access to this kind of important, preventative health care.”
This is the second year that Lt. Governor Denish has been a part of the national campaign. New Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil, the Governor’s Women’s Health Advisory Council, Dr. Eric Manske, from La Familia in Santa Fe, the New Mexico Women’s Health Council and the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women joined Lt. Governor Denish today to highlight women’s health issues, including cervical cancer, on Women’s Health Day in the Capitol.
"Women's Health Day empowers women across the state to get healthy by taking action," Women's Health Council Executive Director Giovanna Rossi said. "We need to educate women about steps they can take to improve their health such as regular PAP tests and cancer screenings."
The Department of Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides breast and cervical cancer screening services free of charge to women ages 30 and older, who are living at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level and are uninsured or underinsured. For more information, call the Department toll-free, 1-877-852-2585.
“The key to preventing deaths from cervical cancer is regular screenings,” Dr. Vigil said. “We encourage women to take advantage of our free screening and diagnostic program so they can take the best care of their health.”
The Department’s program is primarily funded by the federal government. Last year, the State gave almost $618,000, allowing the Department’s providers to increase the number of Pap tests to 9,430, up 54 percent from fiscal year 2006. Through these screening services, providers diagnosed four invasive cervical cancers and 71 precancerous conditions.
“Receiving financial support from the State allowed us to possibly save 75 women’s lives through our additional screening services,” Dr. Vigil said.
When women are diagnosed early through pap tests, their chance of surviving five years for local stage cervical cancers is 88 percent. Survival drops sharply – to less than 50 percent – if the cancer has spread by the time it is detected.
Each year in New Mexico, approximately 80 women are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer and approximately 22 die from cervical cancer.
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State of New Mexico
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Diane D. Denish
Lieutenant Governor
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
For Immediate Release
February, 4, 2008
Contact: Kate Nelson
(505) 795-3892
Lt. Governor to Speak about National Campaign to End Cervical Cancer
(Santa Fe) – Lt. Governor Diane D. Denish will join Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil and the Governor’s Women’s Health Advisory Council at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Rotunda of the Capitol to talk about a national campaign to end cervical cancer. The news conference is held in conjunction with Women’s Health Day at the Capitol. There will be resources and information about how women can take care of their health.
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For
Immediate Release
September 22, 2006
Contact: Chris Cervini, 505-231-2092 or Deborah Busemeyer, 505-827-2619
Lt. Gov. Denish unveils “Make the Connection” campaign to end cervical cancer in
our lifetime
ALBUQUERQUE – Lt. Gov. Diane Denish today launched a campaign to
increase awareness about cervical cancer and to encourage women to get regular
health screenings to prevent the disease. “I’m here this morning because we can
end cervical cancer in our lifetime,” Denish said. "This year, nearly 10,000
women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 3,700 will die.”
“Make the Connection” is a project of the National Lieutenant Governors
Association to eradicate cervical cancer through education. It focuses on three
primary areas: Prevention, regular screening and getting information to the
public about new vaccines to treat HPV, the virus that causes 99.7 percent of
cervical cancer cases. "The Lt. Governor's national campaign is important
because it creates awareness about how important it is to be regularly screened
for cervical cancer," said Health Secretary Michelle Lujan Grisham. "Knowing
about your health allows you to make informed decisions that can save your life.
It saved mine when I was 21 and learned I had early stages of cervical cancer."
The Department of Health's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
provides free well-woman visits, which include screening for the early detection
of breast and cervical cancers. To be eligible for cervical cancer screenings,
you must be 30 years or older, earn a low to moderate income and have little to
no insurance. To find out more about the department's services, call the
bilingual toll-free line, 877-852-2585. “Schedule regular check-ups and talk to
you friends and loved ones about the dangers of cervical cancer.” Denish said.
“Together, and with education, we can defeat this disease.”
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