Commemorating Cervical Cancer Journeys
- January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
- Cervical cancer is largely preventable with the HPV vaccine.
- Cervical cancer screening should start at age 25.
Related: New Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines Recommend HPV & Pap Testing Now Start at Age
Read More1. This woman says the tattoo on her foot made her cervical cancer diagnosis feel “real”
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Many who’ve been touched by cancer choose to become advocates for awareness and research around the disease. Here, we hear one woman’s story.
Ex-NYPD Cop, Whose Retirement Was Disrupted by Cervical Cancer, Becomes Advocate
2. This tattoo puts a feathery twist on the cervical cancer ribbon.
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3. A teal blue ribbon on the inside of her wrist helps this woman spread awareness.
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4. This woman’s cervical cancer ribbon is complemented by a Wonder Woman tattoo.
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5. A gorgeous ocean setting was incorporated into this woman’s cervical cancer tattoo.
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6. In this tattoo, the cervical cancer ribbon gets wings.
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7. The cervical cancer ribbon wrapped around a rose is a lovely twist.
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8. Strength, hope and faith mark the sides of this ribbon.
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9. This woman chose one powerful word to complement the teal ribbon: Believe
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10. This woman chose to morph the ribbon into a rosary.
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No matter how you choose to work through your cancer journey, be it to commemorate it in a beautiful tattoo or try to forget about it and move on, the important thing is that you never forget how strong you are.
Importance of Screenings
The good news about cervical cancer is that with screenings and the HPV vaccine, it’s largely preventable and rates in recent years have plummeted. According to the latest guidelines set by the American Cancer Society, cervical cancer screenings should begin at age 25, ideally with a primary HPV test every 5 years or a Pap test every 3 years. Women over age 65 who have had no abnormal screening results in the past 10 years can stop cervical cancer screenings.
To make sure you’re getting the proper screenings, ask your gynecologist to explain this during the exam.
"Many times, women have a speculum exam and they assume they've had a cervical screening test," Dr. Kimberly Levinson, Director of Johns Hopkins Gynecologic Oncology at Greater Baltimore Medical Center told SurvivorNet in an interview. "It's important to ask your doctor, 'Was a screening exam performed?’ I can't tell you how many times I've asked someone and they don't know if they've actually had a cervical screening."
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