Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Pap Smear Urged

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, with the goal of educating and empowering women across America to visit their clinician for an annual pap smear test.

Vigilance on the part of women about early detection through cervical cancer screening is crucial, because cervical cancer, caught early, is nearly 100 percent curable.

On January 14, women who have not had a pap smear for three years are encouraged to call BreastCare, toll-free at 1-877-670-2273, to find out if they qualify for a free pap smear screen.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that between 60 and 80 percent of American women with newly diagnosed invasive cancer have not had a pap smear in the past five years and may have never had one. The unscreened population groups include older women, and the uninsured, ethnic minorities (especially Latina women, African Americans and Asian Americans), and poor women, particularly those in rural areas.

Cervical Cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer worldwide and one of the most preventable and treatable.

BreastCare and the Arkansas Breast and Cervical Cancer Control program is administered by the Arkansas Department of Health. To get more information on how to qualify for a free pap smear, call toll free, 1-877-670-2273.