Substitute for House Resolution No. 202.

            A resolution to declare January 2016 as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.

            Whereas, Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is an effort to encourage and promote the efforts of people and health care practitioners in the state of Michigan to increase awareness about cervical cancer, including the early detection, prevention, risk factors, and early warning symptoms and signs of the disease; and

            Whereas, Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide; and

            Whereas, In the United States, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that approximately 12,900 cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed and approximately 4,100 women will die from cervical cancer every year; and

            Whereas, In Michigan, an estimated 350 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2015; and

            Whereas, Cervical cancer is preventable through regular screenings and certain cervical cancers may be preventable through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination; and

            Whereas, Cervical cancer is almost 100 percent curable if diagnosed and treated early as  it is one of the most successfully treatable cancers with a five-year survival rate of 93 percent; and

            Whereas, Invasive cervical cancer is almost totally preventable by routine screening. The  high incidence of death from cervical cancer is due mainly to a lack of early detection screenings; and

            Whereas, The American Cancer Society recommends that all women who have reached 21 years of age should be screened every 3 years for cervical cancer. Women age 30 years and older should be screened every 5 years; and 

            Whereas, Spreading awareness of cervical cancer, its risk factors, and the importance of access to preventative measures, including regular Pap tests and the HPV vaccination, are critical to perpetuating the continual decrease of the incidence of cervical cancer in women; and

            Whereas, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of this serious health issue and more must be done to increase activity at the local, state and national levels to support the patients as well as their families; now, therefore, be it 

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare January 2016 as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Michigan. We  encourage access to preventative services and medical care in order to protect against cervical cancer.