Turquoise Thursday Raises Awareness of Cervical Cancer in Native Communities

The American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) is launching the 7th annual Turquoise Thursday campaign on Thursday, January 18, with a virtual event to spread awareness about the importance of cervical cancer screening in Native American communities.

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. According to AICAF, Native women have the highest rates of HPV-associated cancers and are over 1.5 times as likely to develop cervical cancer compared to white women. Early detection and screening have greatly reduced the impact of cervical cancer among women, which continues to disproportionately affect Native communities.

"Getting that word out that cancer screenings and early detection can save lives is really important. Cervical cancer can be prevented and is curable if it is found early. We understand that there are fears and lack of understanding or knowing the process which is why we developed these resources in an indigenous lens," Communication and Project Manager Shoshanna Johnson (Absentee Shawnee/Sac and Fox) told Native News Online.

https://nativenewsonline.net/health/turquoise-thursday-raises-awareness-of-cervical-cancer-in-native-communities