January is Cervical Health Awareness Month!
The New Year holiday is all about taking stock of one’s self and making efforts to improve or set goals for a better you.
What better goal to make than focusing on health?!
And since January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, let’s take a look at what women can do for themselves — and what men can do for the women in their lives — to address cervical health issues.
And special thanks to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) for the helpful tips and resources.
Let’s start 2020 right!
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) play a role in causing most cervical cancer.
There are two main types of cervical cancer:
- Squamous cell carcinoma is the type of cervical cancer that begins in the thin, flat cells (squamous cells) lining the outer part of the cervix, which projects into the vagina. Most cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
- Adenocarcinoma is the type of cervical cancer that begins in the column-shaped glandular cells that line the cervical canal.
To learn more about cervical cancer, click here.
#CervicalHealthMonth
- Download the NCCC’s free fact sheet – ‘Ten Things to Know About HPV’
- Find free or low cost Pap tests near you
Survivor Stories
NCCC is pleased to offer a free ebook of essays from cervical cancer survivors and family members, providing personal perspectives on the physical and emotional impact of cervical cancer.
Click here for a free pdf version of ‘HPV & Cervical Cancer: Stories from Survivors and Supporters.’
Additional formats compatible with most ebook readers (epub, mobi), including the Kindle, are available free through Smashwords. The ebook is also available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
More Resources, Courtesy of the NCCC
Check out the NCCC’s webpage on Cervical Health Awareness Month here!
Whether it’s posters for social media postings, insightful health podcasts, resources for healthcare professionals, and much more, the NCCC has plenty of informative, helpful tools that is worth exploring not just in January, but all year long.
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