It’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and this January, SHARE is celebrating the one-year anniversary of our cervical cancer program! In just one year, SHARE has launched a support group, helpline, education programs, and a comprehensive outreach program. Our education programs have featured special offerings for young women, Black women, and Spanish-speaking women, as well as the latest news on treatment and prevention. Meanwhile, our support group – accessible from anywhere via videoconference – is led by a cervical cancer peer who has been through diagnosis and treatment, and can share her experiences and understanding.
More than 14,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year, but the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate
screening. SHARE is committed to supporting and informing the thousands of women facing a diagnosis; we are also focused on prevention. Cervical cancer is one of the only cancers with a vaccine that can prevent it – and we want to make sure this cancer-preventing vaccine is getting to everyone who needs it.
In 2023 we are excited to launch a new outreach campaign that will focus on outreach to parents through school PTAs to make sure children–male and female–are receiving the HPV vaccine at age 11-12, as recommended by the CDC. Our specially trained Black and Latina outreach Ambassadors will be going into their communities with presentations and materials specifically designed to let parents know all about how best to protect their daughters’ health. We will also be reaching out to colleges in the community to reach young women about screening and prevention, and let them know it’s not too late to get vaccinated.
This January, and every month of the year we are proud of the work we do on helping women facing a cervical cancer diagnosis, and working to make sure that future generations never get a diagnosis in the first place. Congratulations to our team!