Cervical Health/Cancer Awareness Month
During the month of January is Cervical Health, Cervical Cancer, and Births Defect Awareness month.
Cervical Health and Cancer Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness about cervical health and cancer, promoting screening for early detection, and education about cervical health. There are many common types of cervical diseases, the most common being: Cervicitis, cervical polyps, cervical dysplasia, HPV, and cervical cancer.
Focusing on HPV, or human papilloma virus, and cervical cancer, most cervical cancer is caused by HPV. HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses that infect the skin. It is an STI, or sexually transmitted infection, that is very common among people who are sexually active, both male and female, and is spread through vaginal, anal, and/or oral sex. HPV infections most often clears in a short time, but some types can cause genital warts or cancer. Cancers include: anal cancer, cervical cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, penile cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer. Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. Cervical cancer is only found in women and according to the American Cancer Society, there will be:
- ~13,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer that will be diagnosed
- ~4,320 women will die from cervical cancer
There are ways to help prevent cervical cancer or catch it early. Receiving the HPV vaccine can be more than 90% effective at preventing HPV related infections that can lead to cancers. It is also important to screen and test to catch any infections early for treatment. An example of screening would be a routine pap test that can help detect precancerous conditions of the cervix.
National Birth Defects Month
January is also National Birth Defects Awareness Month. Raising awareness about birth defects can help support and improve the health of people living with these conditions. According to the CDC, “Birth defects are structural changes that can affect almost any part of the body such as the heart, brain, or foot and may affect how the body looks, works, or both. In the US, there is an estimated 1 in every 33 infants born with a birth defect each year.
While birth defects can happen at any stage of pregnancy, most occur during the first 3 months. How it affects someone can vary from mild to severe. There are some known causes for certain birth defects, like fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, but other birth defects could be attributed to multiple factors, such as: our genes, behavior, and environment.
Some known risks include:
- Smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking certain drugs during pregnancy.
- Certain infections during pregnancy, such as Zika
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Certain medications
- Family history of birth defects
- Elevated body temperature or fever higher than 101-degree Fahrenheit
Prenatal screening can help with identifying if there is a higher risk of your baby having a certain birth defect, but some birth defects may not be diagnosed until after the baby is born or later on in their life.
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