House Republican Press Release

January 24, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

REP. HOVEY ADDRESSES EUROPEAN HEALTH OFFICIALS ON CERVICAL CANCER

Area Legislator Visits Brussels As Part Of Outreach Program

On Monday, January 21, State Rep. Hovey (R-Monroe, Newtown) addressed European Parliament officials at a conference in Brussels, Belgium as part of an ongoing campaign to promote cervical cancer awareness. January is cervical cancer awareness month.

Rep. Hovey delivered the opening address to the European Parliament Cervical Cancer Awareness Group on ‘Politics and Cancer Prevention in the United States.’ The previous week, she joined Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele at several press conferences held at area hospitals to promote cervical cancer awareness.

“It is a tremendously positive sign that members of the European Parliament wanted to learn how we are working to combat this disease in the United States,” said Rep. Hovey. “They were very receptive to our message and the need to promote awareness, which will ultimately save lives. Annual screenings and the option of vaccinating adolescent women can eradicate cervical cancer, which is so devastating to women and their families worldwide.”

According to the state Department of Public Health (DPH),there were an estimated 11,150 new cases of cervical cancer in 2007 in the United States.  Cervical cancer once was the leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States.  However, during the past four decades, incidence and mortality (the number of deaths each year) from cervical cancer have declined significantly, primarily because of the widespread use of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test to detect cervical abnormalities. 

Cervical cancer can usually be prevented if precancerous cervical lesions are found through Pap tests and treated.  Cervical cancer screenings are available at no charge through the Department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program for eligible women.  For more information on the program, please visit the DPH website at www.ct.gov/dph and select “Breast and Cervical Cancer” under “Featured Links” or call the Department of Public Health at (860) 509-7804.