Nearly 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. each year, and one-third of them will die from the disease, according to The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC).
During January, the staff at St. Thomas Community Health Center urged women the community to get routine pap smears and HPV testing in observance of Cervical Health Awareness Month.
«Early detection is so important,» said Chaniel Age, women’s health practitioner at St. Thomas CHC «Abnormal cell changes can be treated before cervical cancer develops if they are detected early enough.»