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Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime
NLGA Brochure
(text only)

Cervical cancer is a nearly preventable  disease, yet  9,710 American women are expected to develop cervical cancer in 2006.  About 3,700 will die from it.[i]   Why?  They did not act on the information in this brochure.  You should.  You can.   

Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime

The cervix is the lower part of a woman’s uterus.  Cervical cancer is the second most common form of cancer found in women.[ii]  It is a serious but almost completely preventable disease.  Cervical cancer may also be curable if found at an early stage. 

A virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) causes 99.7% of all cervical cancer cases.[iii]   HPV is not the same as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, which causes AIDS) or herpes simplex virus (HSV, which causes genital herpes).  Most sexually active adults will be infected with HPV at some point in their life.  There are many types of HPV  spread by skin to skin contact in the genital area.  HPV causes no symptoms and usually goes away on its own.[iv]  However, high-risk HPV which stays in the body a period of years can cause cervical cancer.             

A pap test (or smear) is a simple, painless test done in minutes in a doctor’s office or clinic.  Cells are gently scraped from the cervix and examined under microscope.  A Pap test may detect abnormal cells in the cervix caused by HPV which precede cervical cancer.  Cervical cancer can be prevented or cured by removing the abnormal cells before they become cancerous.  Often, there are no early symptoms so women should have pap tests done regularly.[v]

In recent years, the U.S. death rate from cervical cancer decreased but the rate of invasive cervical cancer is up.[vi]  That’s why members of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) are spreading the word about HPV and cervical cancer.  By helping people make the connection between the virus and the cancer, we can end cervical cancer in our lifetime.  Pass it on  to someone you know and help save a life.     

Take Action
1   Prevention
The surest prevention of HPV, and possibly cervical cancer, is abstinence.  If you decide to be sexually active, limit your sexual partners.[vii]  The number of partners you and your partner have had increase the chance of HPV infection.  Engaging in sexual activity at a young age may also make HPV infection more likely.   

Use condoms.[viii]  Condom use will not fully protect from HPV infection, but a condom will decrease the chance of infection. 

Get regular PAP smears.[ix]  A Pap test can detect abnormal cells early, before they become cancer, and these can be treated or removed.   

Stop Smoking.[x]  Smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer. 

2   Screening 
Cervical cancer affects women in every demographic of American life, with the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer highest among African American and Hispanic women.[xi]  Widespread availability of Pap testing led to a decline in U.S. cervical cancer death, but more than half the women who now develop cervical cancer have either rarely or never had a Pap test.[xii] 

Commit to get a Pap test.  Busy women in today’s modern world must make the connection between HPV, Pap testing, and avoidance of a nearly preventable cancer.  Urge the women in your life to get a Pap test.  Pass on the information to friends. 

Low-cost or free Pap tests are available.  If you think you cannot afford a Pap test, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 800-CDC-INFO (232-4636).  The CDC will connect you with a program in your state providing free or low-cost Pap testing to low-income, uninsured, and underserved women.  Nationally, these programs are only reaching about 20% of the women between the ages of 50 and 64 who are eligible.[xiii]  Commit to call.  Pass the number on to other women in your life.  

Follow up on your screening.  Follow up with your health provider to get and ensure you understand the results of your Pap test.  Stay regular with follow up visits. 

If you do have cervical cancer, your health care provider will discuss with you the best treatment options.  The options available to you will depend on your personal medical condition and situation.

3                 Technology and The Future
Medical breakthroughs continue with cervical cancer and HPV.  A woman with an unclear result on the Pap test may receive a HPV test.  Your health provider would make that decision.  That test may determine if you have high-risk HPV in your body.[xiv]

Two HPV vaccines are to become available.  New vaccines have been created which, combined, protect against four types of HPV, including the two types of HPV which cause 70% of cervical cancer cases.  Once a vaccine is licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends who should get the vaccine and at what age.

Take Action.  Pass it on.  End Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime.

Ending Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime
As chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), I ask you to join this campaign to “End Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime.”  I urge you to use the information provided here to educate yourself, and others, on the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.  Together, through education and awareness, we can end cervical cancer in our lifetime!  Lt. Governor Jane Norton, Colorado 

How can I learn more about Ending Cervical Cancer?
More resources are available at www.nlga.us.  NLGA 71 Cavalier Blvd. Ste. 124, Florence, Ky  41042  (859) 283-1400

The NLGA campaign ‘Ending Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime’ began in July 2006.  This publication was made possible by an independent public policy grant from Merck & Co. Inc.  For those who receive a “Make the Connection” bracelet, beads are not toys.  Keep them and all small objects away from children.