How one Alabama woman’s story can motivate you to help wipe out cervical cancer

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Jennifer Simpson is like a lot of busy Alabama women: She thought that if there was something wrong with her health, she’d know.

That’s why, when she went in for a routine exam in 2018, she wasn’t concerned that her last Pap test had been in 1993. She thought nothing of that gap—until she got a call to come back in for a biopsy due to irregular results. She had cervical cancer.

Spoiler alert: Today Jennifer is fine and thriving. But like 42.3% of women patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) who are called back in for irregular results on a routine cervical cancer screening, she delayed seeking further treatment.

While those irregular results are often benign, it’s essential to take charge of your health and seek follow-up treatment.

Learn how your story can be different. With vaccination, regular screenings and follow-up care, we can all help wipe out cervical cancer in Alabama.

How you can help Wipe Out cervical cancer: It’s preventable

“The fact that people die from cervical cancer is heartbreaking, because the HPV vaccine makes it so preventable.”

_{Jennifer Simpson, cervical cancer survivor and patient service coordinator at UAB oncology}

Jennifer is right: Cervical cancer is preventable, and there’s a way you can help reduce your own risk and help spread the word to others. We’ve previously written about the important work taking place in Alabama as part of OPERATION WIPE OUT. 

The main cause of cervical cancer is infection by a virus: Human Papillomavirus or HPV. Most sexually active people have been exposed to this virus at some point in their lives. However, if the infection persists over time, it can lead to pre-cancer and cervical cancer. 

Fortunately, it’s simple, easy and often very affordable to prevent cervical cancer. Here’s what to know:

• Get the vaccine + start early: The vaccine to prevent HPV infection also prevents cervical cancer and other HPV-associated cancers in men and women. It’s most effective before people are exposed to the virus, and is recommended for boys and girls starting as early as age 9 to adults 26 years of age. 
• Get regular screenings: Women between the ages of 21 and 65 should get screened every three years.
• Follow up: Don’t be scared of a call-back. A lot of results need a further look from your healthcare provider, and most—like Jennifer’s—are treatable. 

“Do not be afraid. It is not the end of the world. Let’s see what we’ve got to do to get it taken care of, because you should not die for this. 

And so many people get that abnormal Pap test, and they don’t come back here because they’re scared. But with cancer, you don’t want to wait until it’s bad. You want to jump right then and go, ‘Okay, I’m important enough to myself and to the people that love me that I’m going to take care of this.'”

_{Jennifer Simpson, cervical cancer survivor and patient service coordinator at UAB oncology}

How to find free or low-cost care across Alabama

Seeking cervical cancer (and other wellness) screenings can be easier and more affordable than you think! And easier to find, too—check with your internist or a local nurse practitioner to see if they can provide cervical cancer screenings, which are quite often covered by insurance.

For uninsured folks, seek out your local health department to find a federally-qualified clinic, call (toll-free): 877.252.3324 or fill out this form. You can find more details via the Alabama Department of Public Health’s website here.

Some locations across Alabama include:

• Anniston: Calhoun County Health Department or 256.237.7523
• Auburn: Mercy Medical Ministry or 334.501.1081
• Bay Minette/North Baldwin County: Baldwin County Health Department or 251.937.6935
• Birmingham: Cahaba Medical Care Foundation – Ability Clinic or 205.944.3944
• Cullman: Cullman County Health Department or 256.734.1030
• Dothan: Houston County Health Department or 334.678.2800
• Gadsden: Etowah County Health Department or 256.547.6311
• Huntsville: Madison County Health Department or 256.539.3711
• Jasper: Walker County Health Department or 205.221.9775
• Mobile: Mobile County Health Department – Women’s Health Center or 251.690.8935
• Montgomery: Montgomery County Health Department or 334.293.6400
• Oneonta: Blount County Health Department or 205.274.2120
• Prattville: Autauga County Health Department or 334.361.3743
• Tuskegee: Macon County Health Department or 334.727.1800
• Tuscaloosa: Tuscaloosa County Health Department or 205.562.6900

“We have made considerable progress in treating women with cervical cancer over the last 20 years. Survivorship is no longer an aspirational goal but a reality for many. 

Continued surveillance and follow up is a critical, essential aspect of cervical cancer care.”

_{Dr. Warner Huh, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UAB}

Together with OPERATION WIPE OUT, we can educate, vaccinate, treat—and, most important—eliminate cervical cancer among Alabamians. Learn more.

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