EDITOR,

January marks the advent of a new year and provides a fresh opportunity for women to make their health a priority. During Cervical Health Awareness Month, Planned Parenthood is urging women, Latinas especially, to speak with their health care provider about their risk of cervical cancer.  

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, more than 11,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,000 women died of the disease. Death rates for Latinas are disproportionately high. There are several explanations for this disparity:

1. HIV is the number four killer of Latinos aged 35––44 in the U.S. according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Because HIV affects the body’s immune system, women with HIV are more susceptible to the human papilloma virus : certain strains of which cause cervical cancer : and are less likely to be able to fight the virus.  

2. The rate of chlamydia infection among Latinas is three times higher than among non-Hispanic white women: Recent studies indicate that women who have had Chlamydia, a relatively common bacterial infection that affects the female reproductive system, are at greater risk of cervical cancer than women who have never had the infection.

3. Low socioeconomic status: Cervical cancer is preventable and curable when detected early. But many women with low incomes do not have the necessary resources to access preventive health services such as Pap tests and treatments for precancerous cervical disease. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Latinas are nearly twice as likely as non-Hispanic women to live in poverty : one in five Latinas live in poverty, compared with one in 10 non-Hispanic women. Too many Latinas are forced to choose between food for their families and health care for themselves.

4. Lack of health insurance: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos are least likely to be insured. As a result, they are twice as likely as non-Hispanic blacks and three times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to lack a regular health care provider. Because they often lack insurance and a regular provider, Latinas are least likely to have access to lifesaving screening such as Pap tests and to information about cervical cancer risk.

While these causes seem daunting, there is hope. Correct and consistent condom use significantly reduces the risk of cervical cancer. However, HPV can reside on areas of the skin that are not protected by a condom, so regular checkups with a health care provider are still essential. There is also Gardasil: the first vaccine developed to prevent the most common types of HPV that cause cervical cancer: is approved for use in girls and women aged nine to 26 for the prevention of cervical cancer.  

Planned Parenthood of Central Washington’s health center in Walla Walla provides not only free to low cost gynecological exams and Pap tests, but also confidential STD and HIV testing, education, and information to anyone who seeks it. For an appointment, call 1-866-904-7721.

– Cora Davidson

Cora Davidson is the Public Affairs Field Organizer, Planned Parenthood of Central Washington