South Georgia Medical Center Offers Free Cervical Cancer Screening

Valdosta, GA- South Georgia Medical Center will offer a free Cervical Cancer Screening and Pap test on Jan. 15 from 5pm to 6:30 pm at the Pearlman Cancer Center for women 21 to 65 years of age who have not had a pap smear in the last three years and have not had a hysterectomy. Last year in the United States, more than 12,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed. Despite evidence that cervical cancer screenings save lives, about eight million women who qualify have not been screened for cervical cancer in the past five years. SGMC seeks to help women get these life-saving tests at no charge by offering the screening. Registration is required and can be completed by calling 229.433.1074.Cervical cancer is treatable and most successful when detected early. The key to preventing deaths from cervical cancer is getting a regular Pap test which looks for changes in the cervix which might lead to cancer. The primary cause of cervical cancer is infection with certain types of human papillomavirus or HPV.  The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends a regular Pap test and speculum exam for women, regardless of immunization status, beginning at age 21 or three years after the onset of sexual activity, whichever occurs first. According to the ACS, cervical cancer tends to occur in midlife, as half of women diagnosed with this cancer are between the ages of 35 and 55. Although cervical cancer does affect young women, many older women do not realize the risk of developing cervical cancer is still present as they age. For additional information on cervical cancer, visit the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org .