Did you know that cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women in the U.S. 40 years ago? Today, thanks to widespread access to regular Pap tests, of the 260,000 women globally who die from cervical cancer each year, less than 4,100 live here in the U.S.
Don't all women deserve a lifesaving test? Shockingly, 95% of women in the developing world have never been screened for cervical cancer, leading to 85% of global deaths from the disease taking place in countries like Burkina Faso and the Philippines.
Even more astonishing is the fact that thanks to advances in treatment for HIV/AIDS, women in sub-Saharan Africa—the center of this devastating disease—are living with HIV, but are at risk of dying from cervical cancer because of the lack of screening.
It is easy to sit up and take notice; what is difficult is standing up and taking action. Today, I stand up and take action by pledging to raise awareness about the 260,000 women who die globally from cervical cancer each year and their desperate need for increased access to basic preventive screening and treatment services.Where women live should not determine if they live.
