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By Lauren Williams, BlackVoices.comOnce upon a time, cervical cancer was the leading cause of death among American women. Not anymore. As more and more women stick to their schedule of yearly pap tests, which detect cancer-causing HPV, cervical cancer rates in this country are on a steady decline. In addition to regular screenings, there's the HPV vaccine, sold as Gardasil in the U.S. It protects against the two strains of HPV that are responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancer diagnoses.
The decline in cervical cancer doesn't mean that it's not still a problem. Cervical cancer still affects 9,000 women a year, and African American women are afflicted at higher rates than any other segment of the population. Black women are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer than white women. As Cervical Cancer Awareness month comes to a close, it's important for all women to remain vigilant about being screened for HPV and to make a decision about the vaccine -- either for themselves, if eligible, or their children.The vaccine is available for females ages 9-26, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that girls get it around the age of 11 or 12. This recommendation gives some parents pause, said Curtis Allen, spokesman for the CDC.
"In a lot of ways, this is a difficult subject for many parents, because [HPV] is a sexually transmitted disease, and no parent wants to think about their children having sex," Allen said. "It's also important that parents recognize that many of these cases of HPV begin shortly after beginning sexual activity. Within a couple of years, there's a chance that they would have come into contact with someone with HPV, and by the time that they're 50 years of age, almost 80 percent of women would have had an HPV of some sort."
Both the vaccine and Merck, the pharmaceutical company that sells Garadasil, have attracted a bit of a backlash since the vaccine was introduced to the public in 2006. Many parents are anti-vaccine, and critics have said that it is too early to gauge how safe it is. But Allen said there has been "no scientific evidence of the vaccine having safety issues." As of June of 2008, more than 18 million doses of Gardasil had been distributed in the United States.
"It's important that African American women are aware of the vaccine and should take advantage of the vaccine," Allen said. "There is a higher rate [of cervical cancer] in the African American community than in other communities."
Dr. Philip Castle, an investigator at the National Cancer Institute, told Black Voices that the HPV vaccine is useful, but not a cure-all. The vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. Even if a woman receives the vaccine, she is still at risk for less common forms of cancer-causing HPV that the vaccine does not prevent and needs to continue her annual exams.
"If women get screened regularly," he said, "they won't need the vaccine."
Cervical Cancer Awareness Quiz
Awareness of Cervical Cancer is very important for black women's health. Compared to white women, black women are more likely to die of the disease at what rate?
- Twice the rate
- Three times the rate
- Five times the rate
What is cervical cancer?
- A disease of the abdomen
- A disease of the reproductive tract
- A disease of the intestines
Is cervical cancer easy to prevent and treat?
- Yes
- No
- It depends
When should a woman begin getting screened for cervical cancer?
- By age 21
- By age 31
- By age 40
How many cervical cancer screening options are there for a woman aged 30-40?
- 4
- 2
- 10
At what age can a woman stop getting her yearly screenings for cervical cancer and be sure she will remain healthy?
- 45
- 55
- 65
What do the best medical professionals recommend to maintain your feminine health, regardless of your age?
- Only getting cervical cancer screenings
- Annual gynecologic examinations, including pelvic exams
- Waiting until you have symptoms
Are there conditions that require more frequent tests for cervical cancer?
- Yes
- No
- I'm not sure
What is the name of the cervical cancer vaccine?
- HibTITER
- Gardasil
- Menomune
At what age should a woman consider getting vaccinated with Gardasil?
- Ages 5-10
- Ages 32-44
- Ages 9-26
Comments: (12)
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By: Eric on 1/28/2009 2:05PM
I'm not at all surprised to see that BW aren't posting here "yet" about this subject, because like most things the majority of BW (not all) are in total denial! But, for anyone to read this article it's "clear again" that here we have BW leading the pack...unfortunately, and again in the wrong direction! BW are the highest risk group in the US today with regards to HIV/AIDS at a staggering 64% of all aids cases reported for females of all races....WHY?. And, HIV/AID is now the number one killer of BW between the ages of 25 and 44..according to the CDC. BW are also the most overweight for their gender(77% of all BW in the US today are overweight) Again, WHY?... that's according to the US Department of Health. And, this leads to a myraid of serious Women's Health issues. Obesity is out of conrol in our communities, which contributes to heart disease, along with certain forms of cancer, hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes! (Black women also lead in that category as well!). BW have more OOW babies than any other group in the US today...at a whooping 73%....WHY?..... and people those are "third world numbers"! Now, here we are "again" with BW and Cervical cancer! According to the article above: Cervical cancer still affects 9,000 women a year, and African American women are afflicted at higher rates than any other segment of the population. Need I say it again....Why? Black women are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer than white women."There is a higher rate [of cervical cancer] in the African American community than in other communities....WHY? So, what's up with BW? I already know the default response will be another feeble attempt from BW to only blame BM...as per usual. But, what of your (BW's) own behavior? Funny that they "almost never" mention their responsibility to anything!So, why is anyone surprised to see such numbers?
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By: lharris3167 on 1/28/2009 4:07PM
It's true, that Black Women are leading the pack, as you put it, for many diseases. Yes black women have to take responsibility for our own behaviour. What you fail to realize, or at least mention, though, is that we take a lot of responsibility for the Black Males behaviour as well. Many Black women facing the threat of HIV/AIDS do so because of many "down low" black males. Many Black Women don't get regular checkups because we are busy taking care of children abandoned by Black Males. We tend to put more importance on putting food in the mouths of our children than getting a much needed check up. Granted, a lot of Black Women are overweight, but there are also those who are considered "overweight" by standards that really shouldn't apply to us. While I agree with you that we need to take better care of ourselves in terms of our diets and our healthcare, don't act like Black Men don't share any of the blame for what is happening to Black Women, because they do. We can indeed control our behaviour, but we can't control yours.
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By: Beverly on 1/28/2009 4:25PM
eric
to respond to ur statement as to why ur not surprised nobody has commented on the story yet.....the reason is this, because bw have their priorities screwed up. they havent commented because they havent read it....they havent read it cuz it has nothing to do with any celebrity news, fashion, or the next face on the cover of Vibe or Black Hair Magazine. it sounds harsh, yes, it was meant to. to all the bw who might take offense, i meant to. get offended, get angry, and do something about it. prove me wrong....please. take more interest in ur health and well being, not in regards to material things but the well being and health of our community. b4 anybody tries to rip on me about talking bout sisters, push pause.....i am a black female. a black female who is tired of seeing my sisters satisfied with ignorance and no known desire to become educated in anything else other than entertainment news.
eric, im with u. i better not come back and see posts (if any at all besides ours!! lol) about how this is the bm's fault blah blah blah. unless u were raped, its ur fault u got burned!!! dont be so quick to sleep with so and so...not all STD's can be stopped by a condom. if u didnt know this, this is the ignorance i was speaking of b4. bm meet us where we are at...if ur standards are high, if he really cares for u, then he will step it up (and i dont mean material things, i mean things like intergrity, honesty...u know shyt u cant buy in the store!!). if he doesnt, do u really want someone in ur life who has no aspirations for anything (legal)?
most ppl only do what is asked or required of them...nothing more hardly ever. if u dont ask for more bw....how can u expect it!!! same goes for bm, ask more from bw like class, tact, etc.
*stepping down from my soapbox!!*
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By: Beverly on 1/28/2009 4:32PM
....and to stomp any comments saying if i feel that strongly about then maybe I sould do something about it...push pause, i am. i work with teens (girls and boys) who are on the wrong path in society (like probation, jail, getting placed in state custody). the challenge i have is the ignorant mother/father who comes behind me when im gone and displays every negative behavior i just gave them counseling on!! not lmao!!
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By: lharris3167 on 1/28/2009 6:55PM
Hey Beverly,
I don't know the sisters that you hang out with, but the ones I know are college educated, holding down good jobs, and taking care of their families. As far as the "getting raped" part or the "don't be so quick to sleep with so and so" part, explain that to the women who have been with their husbands or boyfriends for years only to find out that these men are on the DL. I agree that nothing is 100% and there are trifling women out there, but there are a whole lot of educated sisters who are doing something with their lives other than as you say, reading hair magazines and vibe magazine.
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By: Beverly on 1/28/2009 7:57PM
lharris,
i agree with u on that point! lol my point was the ppl (women) who ARE NOT reading the article. like u, my closest friends are college educated, hold down good jobs, etc. i suppose my pessimistic view comes from my line of work, but i do believe that the females like u and me (and the females who run with us) are very much the exception to the rule.
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By: Tina on 1/28/2009 9:10PM
I am a professional black woman. I read this type of information all the time. I simply get tired of seeing BW leading the way in all the REPORTED areas. I have dedicated my life primarily to social work in urban settings. I pour my energy into the real work (blogging~~~>no) I trust that other PBW are aware of this info and I pray that they also educate themselves, model behavior and educate our youth. There are plenty of excuses but they do not solve the problem...getting involved does!
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By: Ms. Michelle on 1/28/2009 9:53PM
I do not agree with the comment on if women get screened regular they are safe. I know someone that has her annual exams every year never missed one and still this year when she had her exam it came back positive for HPV. It makes you question what are the real facts? She went on line to get more info on HPV and got no real helpfu information.
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By: Natalie Jones on 1/29/2009 2:49AM
Cervical cancer is difficult to detect and potential victims must watch out for symptoms. The dream of eliminating cervical cancer is increasingly within reach with the introduction of the first HPV vaccine. Read here cervical cancer vaccine
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By: jon3742son on 1/29/2009 2:42PM
To Iharris...First, thank you for your comments!
I couldn't agree with you more that "Yes" BW need to take MORE responsibility as do BM as well! Last time that I checked it still takes "two" to tango! So, it's really all about not just only personal responsibility, but it's more like "mutual" responsibility!
Why do BW as you put it have to take responsibility for the behavior of BM? First, BW have to be responsible to themselves "FIRST" before you can't demand respect or expect responsibility from a BM. If, a BW lays down with a BM then "both" should, and need to be held responsible for their actions...period! If, a BW makes a choice to lay down with any man she's the one that determines whether she's going to have sex with that man. The man doesn't have the power to make that call only the woman does! I mean after all it's "your" body not his, and you and you alone have both the power over it, not a BM. So, when a BW makes that choice to lay down then why aren't many (and most today aren't)of them insiting on thier patners praticing safe sex? Many BW simply also choose the wrong BM...and sadly most of them are iresponsible, but what do you expect from thugs, high school dropouts, felons, drug dealers, and lastly "mookie"? I think it's irresponsible to even choose those kind of men, but many do even though they already know that that man will never be there for them! So, why continue that kind of behavior BW? That's a MAJOR "behavioral" problem on the part of BW! Again, why do most BW also choose to be irresponsible too in that process, and not pratice safe sex? BW are dying all around us, but many BW only live in denial about praticing safe sex and HIV/AIDS...WHY? Then when you discover "unfortunately" that you tested positive then it's let's call 1-800-BLAME A BLACKMAN. You can't demand that any man be responsible, when in fact you as a BW are "just as irresponsible" as the man she just laid down with! True, some BM are on the "down low?" and you as BW have to "insist" that any man you plan to have sex with must under "any and all circumstances" pratice safe sex! But, in the real world that's not happening, even though we all have seen here at this site many BW "claiming" that they do! But, they can't with these numbers soaring like they are! Now, I knew that a BW would come here and make a post very similar to yours trying to blame BM for all the AIDS and children issues, but it's the poor choices in men that BW make that foster and promote these kinds of negative results that we are seeing. That's nothing more than the same old "blame game" that we continually hear all the time, and also it's BW still living in their world of both "DENIAL" and "VICTIMHOOD"! You can't always claim to be the victim when in fact you are also a part of the problem too! FYI...BW also are affected by BW, and many are involved in "the world's oldest profession", let's also not forget drug usuage! Here's something that BW "NEVER EVER" talk about! That's BW being affected with HIV/AIDS by WM! As a BM I can't tell you how many BW that I hear saying that they're going to get a WM, or have one! That's their business, and I personally have no problem with that. So, why don't BW think that they're also being affected with HIV/AIDS by WM as well? BM also lead their gender catagory with 41% of all HIV/AIDS cases in the US today, but guess what WW are second with 40% of all HIV/AIDS cases! Hence, if BW are the "highest risk group" in the country, and are openly admitting that they (BW) are also having relations with "BOTH" WM and BM ....then why don't BW think that they are also being affected by WM too? The data directly supports this conclusion! And, why are WW ...who are number two with the second most HIV/AIDS cases in the US today only at 21% vs BW who are at 64%? Now, tell me who's not the responsible one? Perhaps BW need to take a page out of the WW's handbook...just a thought.
As for children that are abandoned ...well if these children weren't born in the first place, and had many BW insisted on praticing safe sex then this would be a "MOTE" point! Also, a little history here BW along with the help of "THEIR" best buddy the (WHITE WOMAN) talked BW into accepting welfare, and that ultimately lead to the explusion of the BM from his home, his family, and his children! So much for the black family! BM didn't and never would have made a decison to do that, and I don't see any other race of women here in the US that have done that to their men either! That's a major factor as to why BM aren't there for you, BUT ONLY ONE! As for being BW being overweight...well I'm just concerned, but appears that I'm more concerned about BW's health issues than BW are themselves! My mother and grandmother both died of heart related problems...because they both weren't overweight...they were just plain fat! God rest their souls! I know this is going to sound harsh, but I'm just sick and tired of seeing all these fat BW! You can say you're thick or whatever, but the bottomline is that you're FAT, and it's killing more BW every single day! I go to the gym two to three times a week, and I almost "never" see any BW there! So, why are BW all that surprised to see that BM are moving on? BW have been moiving on for years breaking their necks trying to get away from BM! They were the first ones to jump out there, and both embrace and endorse Interracial dating, they loved it...until it blindsided and back fired on them as non black women embraced BM BW where is your pride and honor?
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