Cervical Cancer and HPV: What Black Women Need to Know

A big Thank You! goes out to Black Women's Health for helping bring this topic to the forefront.

Good Morning!

As you may or may not know January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. This is a important health topic for all women especially African-American Women. I am taking part in the pledge and today I want to encourage you to do the same.

I do know someone, a close personal friend that has been affected by cervical cancer and also like Tamika ( feat. guest on show) had a hysterectomy after undergoing a partial hysterectomy a year earlier. In my girlfriend's case her cervical cancer had returned even after treatment and therapy so a full hysterectomy had to be performed around the age of 27. It was a very scary time for her.

I was so uninformed until she started to share her story for which I am grateful for because it made me take a second look at my own health. Today on BlogTalk you will also get to hear another woman share her experience with cervical cancer. I do know that because of my Girlfriend I wanted to know more I wanted to understand why?

If you know someone but haven't been able to ask or know what to do as a caregiver in that situation tune in, read and learn the facts. This is a great time to start a sharper focus on your health and that of your partner, friend or loved ones so please pass this along.

If you are unable to tune in on BlogTalk Radio today you can still do your part links provided below by taking the Promise to Me pledge, reading up on cervical cancer and simply taking a moment to participate in the Cervical Cancer poll from Black Women's Health Imperative.


Join in Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at 3 p.m. EST on BlogTalkRadio for the "The Black Women's Health Report with Eleanor Hinton Hoytt.

Listen online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/blackwomenshealthreport
as Eleanor Hinton Hoytt discusses cervical cancer and why Black women should be concerned about it.

Cervical Cancer is preventable!

Get the facts from our special guest, Deborah Arrindell, vice president of Health Policy of the American Social Health Association, and listen to Tamika Felder's, a cervical cancer survivor, inspiring story.

You can ask Deborah and Tamika your questions by calling 646-381-4662 when the phone lines open at 3:15 p.m. EST or submitting your questions to asktheexpert@blackwomenshealth.org

Before you tune-in, take a few moments to do the following:

1. Take the poll on cervical cancer.

2. Read Black Women's Health fact sheet on cervical cancer, share it with family members and friends and visit Promise to Me to get more facts

3. Make the commitment. Black Women's Health is a partner of the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign, they along with I would like to encourage you to take the “ Pearl Pledge” to schedule your Pap test today, request a HPV test and ask your family members and friends to do the same.


To see the pledge and other related links :

Black Women's Health-Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet:
http://www.blackwomenshealth.org/atf/cf/%7B0476F7B2-7EA9-4F30-8C97-DFF275C0CE5B%7D/CC_Factsheet_2008.pdf

Pearl of Wisdom Pledge
http://www.pearlofwisdom.us/pledge

Black Aids Institute takes on ACOG-American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist guidelines for Pap Smear,asking the ?-is it right for "Us"
http://www.blackaids.org/ShowArticle.aspx?pagename=ShowArticle&articletype=SITEFEATURE&articleid=750&pagenumber=1

Center for Disease Control:Facts on Cervical Cancer
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/

Poll on Cervical Cancer
http://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Poll/Default.asp?ievent=258430&en=9hILLUMwF7KHIWNGLdIHKUNFKqITJZMJLjIOIVMGKrJ5H
Tamika's Story
http://www.tamikafelder.com

Promise to Me
http://www.promisetome.com