Gettin' My PSA On

Let's get is started in here...

this is a little PSA over here at Molly Lou Gifts

Perhaps if I posed all of my many "soap boxes" as PSA's, people would start listening. I mean they really are Public Service Announcements. If everyone would just do or not do, start or stop doing whatever I am "soapboxing" (yes, I made that a verb) about, the world would be a better place. I am providin a service.

I digress. January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. I just recently read an article on cervical cancer, then heard that this month was the awareness month. With there being only a wee bit of time left in this month, I decided I better get my PSA going over here.

I went to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition and found these interesting facts and decided to post them here since sometimes our fingers don't quite work on clicking those links.

Bottom line is...get your regular pap tests and make sure all the women that you love are too! Use force if necessary!

Cervical cancer affects approximately 10,000 women in the United States each year. Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer for women worldwide, but because it develops over time, it is also one of the most preventable types of cancer. Deaths from cervical cancer in the United States continue to decline by approximately 2 percent a year. This decline is primarily due to the widespread use of the Pap test to detect cervical abnormalities and allow for early treatment. Most women who have abnormal cervical cell changes that progress to cervical cancer have never had a Pap test or have not had one in the previous three to five years.

*11% of United States women report that they do not have their Pap test screenings
*In the United States, About 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and about 3,700 women die in the USA each year from this disease.
*Women in developing countries account for about 85 percent of both the yearly cases of cervical cancer (estimated at 473,000 cases worldwide) and the yearly deaths from cervical cancer (estimated at 253,500 deaths worldwide).
*In the majority of developing countries, cervical cancer remains the number-one cause of cancer-related deaths among women.
*High-Risk HPV Types are directly related to cervical cancer, yet many women are unaware of what HPV is or the relationship it has to cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers today. If caught early, the 5-year survival rate is almost 100%. Regular Pap testing is the best method to protect against invasive cervical cancer. It is most important to remember that cervical cancer takes many years to develop. Regular Pap tests will help detect any precancerous or abnormal cells early enough so that cervical cancer can be prevented.

Have a great weekend! (I get to go see Wicked tomorrow night with my sister and I am beyond excited!)