The Coalition urges all women to get a regular Pap test, the only screening test for cervical cancer, and encourages all young women to get the vaccine against the Human Papillomavirus that causes most cervical cancer.
The effort begins this month as part of Tennessee’s participation in the nationwide observance of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
“We want all Tennessee women to know how important it is to get regular Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer, since early detection is crucial for saving lives of women who develop this disease,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “We also urge young women to take the vital preventive step of getting the HPV vaccine.”
Cervical cancer is a silent killer that strikes without symptoms or pain until the disease is in the advanced stage. Regular Pap tests can help save lives by detecting the disease in earlier stages when it can most effectively be treated.
