PLANNED PARENTHOOD STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR CHECKUPS DURING GYNECOLOGIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

West Palm Beach— In recognition of Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast (PPSFTC) is encouraging women to visit their health care providers to receive basic, preventive cervical cancer screenings and treatments to help save their lives. 

“We see firsthand at our health centers that regular checkups and preventive care are the keys to combating gynecological cancer,” said Lillian A. Tamayo, President/CEO of PPSFTC. “As the nation moves to reform our health care system, Congress must ensure women’s access to both preventive women’s health care and trusted community health providers, like Planned Parenthood.” 

These tough economic times are especially difficult for women who are struggling to pay for basic health care.  Family planning centers, like Planned Parenthood, serve as an entry point for millions of women. The Guttmacher Institute reports that six in 10 clients consider family planning centers their main source of health care. Oftentimes, it is their first interaction with the country’s health care system.

According to the Women's Research and Education Institute, women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, in part because of reproductive health care needs. A recent survey conducted for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that women are delaying their annual exams as a result of the economic downturn. And a Kaiser Family Foundation report shows roughly 16.7 million women are uninsured, and thus likely to postpone care and delay or forgo important preventive care such as cancer screenings.

Planned Parenthood’s 10 local South Florida and Treasure Coast health centers offer preventive reproductive health care, including routine cervical cancer screenings and the HPV vaccine, which protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. Women should get annual Pap tests starting at age 21, or within three years of becoming sexually active, whichever occurs first. To schedule an appointment, community members can call 800-230-PLAN or visit our website to schedule appointments online at http://www.ppsoflo.org/.

The mission of Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast is to provide comprehensive sexual health care through the provision of clinical services, education and advocacy. We do so by understanding and responding to the needs of those seeking our services, and by protecting and respecting the essential privacy rights, dignity and culture of each individual. www.ppsoflo.org