PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND RECOGNIZES NATIONAL OVARIAN AND GYNECOLOGIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN SEPTEMBER

For Immediate Release: May 13, 2016

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PPSNE encourages women to schedule a checkup in recognition of Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.

(New Haven, Conn.) — September is both National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month and Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) encourages women of all ages to schedule a preventive health screening.

 

About 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the U.S., and approximately 14,250 will die from the disease. Additionally, about 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and around 4,000 will die from the disease.

 

“Gynecological health is important at all stages of adult life. Women should talk with their health care providers to see how often they should be screened. Preventive health screenings are important and can help detect cancer early,” said Judy Tabar President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “Each year, nearly 70,000 women, men and young people rely on Planned Parenthood of Southern New England for quality, affordable reproductive health care. More than 90 percent of our services are preventive — including, lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, birth control and well-woman exams.”

 

Whether you – or someone you know – are due for an important preventive health screening, remember the following:

 

• Know your body. Being aware of your body – how it normally looks and feels – is important at any age. If you notice any changes, tenderness or pain, get checked out by a health care provider as soon as possible.
• Know your risk factors. Learn the risks of gynecologic cancers, including a family history of ovarian or breast cancer, and take steps to prevent and catch them early when they are most treatable.
• Know your next checkup date. The earlier cancer is detected and treated, the better. The frequency for checkups is different for different women, but everyone should see their health care providers regularly.

 

“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act’s preventive health benefits, more women have access to routine well-woman exams, cervical cancer screenings, and breast exams without copays or other out-of-pocket expenses,” Tabar said.

Planned Parenthood is the most trusted women’s health care provider in the country. Every year, millions of patients turn to Planned Parenthood for basic, high-quality, preventive care. Planned Parenthood has provided birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, safe abortion, and other high-quality health care for 99 years. One in five American women reports having been to Planned Parenthood for care in her lifetime.

Extraordinarily strong support runs deeps for Planned Parenthood. A national poll shows strong trust in Planned Parenthood in the wake of outrageous political attacks from anti-abortion extremists. The poll demonstrates overwhelming opposition to proposals to end all federal funding for preventive care services like cancer screenings and family planning at Planned Parenthood health centers across the country. The national survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates on behalf of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund among a national cross section of 800 registered voters.

To learn more about PPSNE health care services, call (203) 865-5158 or visit ppsne.org.

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Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) is one of the region’s largest providers of family planning and reproductive health care services. Since 1923, PPSNE has evolved into an organization with 18 health centers in Connecticut and Rhode Island, delivering care to nearly 70,000 patients annually, and 90 percent of the services provided are preventive.