Every two hours 1 woman dies of cervical cancer. This is why it’s so important that my sisters and I, along with all women, have equal access to reproductive health care like the Pap and HPV tests. Screening with the Pap and HPV co-test identified 70% of the cancers missed by HPV alone. While growing into an adult, I was so blessed that I had access to these co-tests. Now, especially being in my 20s, it is crucial to have access to them since 94.1% of cervical cancers and 99.7% of cervical pre-cancers were detected by Pap+HPV co-test. I can’t imagine being a woman who does not have access to these services and we must protect the current federal guidelines which call for Pap and HPV co-testing.
