The West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program (WVBCCSP), a program of WVU Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control, has designated January 12 as Wear Teal Day in observance of cervical cancer awareness across the state. Each year in West Virginia, approximately 97 women are diagnosed and 37 women die of cervical cancer, according to the West Virginia Cancer Burden Report for 2017. The publication points out that while these numbers are small, West Virginia ranks in the top five for both cervical cancer incidence and mortality when compared with other states, and more than half of the women with cervical cancer in the state are diagnosed at an advanced stage. The good news is that most cervical cancer can be prevented by screening with Pap and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) tests and HPV vaccination. The WVBCCSP helps uninsured and underinsured women gain access to free or low-cost cervical cancer and breast cancer screening services.
